Music: {allcanada} Canadiens spoil Capitals 40th anniversary

Thursday, October 9, 2014

{allcanada} Canadiens spoil Capitals 40th anniversary

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WASHINGTON -- The Montreal Canadiens spoiled the Washington Capitals' 40th anniversary celebration Thursday with a 2-1 shootout victory at Verizon Center.

Tomas Plekanec tied the game midway through the third period with his third goal in two games for Montreal (2-0-0), and Brendan Gallagher scored the decisive goal in the fifth round of the shootout. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski, making his first start of the season, stopped 29 shots through 65 minutes and three more in the tiebreaker.

Rookie Andre Burakovsky, making his NHL debut, had the Capitals' lone goal in regulation. Goaltender Braden Holtby made 23 saves through overtime and stopped two more in the shootout for Washington (0-0-1).

From the opening faceoff, the Capitals pounced on the Canadiens, who were playing the second of back-to-back road games to start the season. Washington dominated the first period, outshooting Montreal 15-2.

A turnover in the defensive zone early in the period led to Burakovsky's goal. Troy Brouwer forced defenseman P.K. Subban to cough up the puck as he turned up ice, then threaded a pass toward a waiting Burakovsky in the slot. The 19-year-old ripped a one-timer past Tokarski at 6:43, then celebrated by leaping into the glass.

Burakovsky, Washington's first pick (No. 23) in the 2013 NHL Draft, became the first Capitals player to score his first NHL goal in his first game since Alex Ovechkin in 2005. It was also the second-fastest first career goal in franchise history, missing the record set by forward Jim Hrycuik in Washington's inaugural game exactly 40 years ago to the day by less than two minutes.

Montreal finally forced Holtby to make a save nearly 18 minutes into the period. The Canadiens stayed within a goal by killing all three of the Capitals' power-play opportunities in the period.

Montreal coach Michel Therrien tweaked his forward lines at the start of the second period in search of a spark, and his team responded by outshooting Washington 12-7. The Capitals and Canadiens ratcheted up the feistiness as well, with one scrum in the final minute leading to three roughing penalties.

Montreal appeared to tie the game midway through the third period on a goal by P.A. Parenteau. But it was quickly waved off when it was determined that Rene Bourque interfered with Holtby in the crease.

But 80 seconds later, the Canadiens got a goal that counted when Plekanec ripped a snap shot past Holtby at 10:31. With 4:29 remaining, Bourque seemingly gave Montreal the lead, but a video review determined that the shot rang the right post but never crossed the goal line.

The Capitals will visit the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday, the same day the Canadiens continue their season-opening four-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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