Braden Holtby stopped the first shot, the puck bounding off his right pad and rolling to the faceoff circle. With two bodies in front of him, the goaltender moved closer to the post for a better view, but all he saw was a black disc whizzing toward the opposite goal post, no way to get over there in time to stop it.
The goal gave the Montreal Canadiens a three-goal lead less than two minutes into the second period, making another Washington Capitals comeback unlikely. It sent Holtby to the bench and straight into the tunnel, pulled in favor of his backup.