The Montreal Canadiens are in an early hole in their first-round playoff series after dropping Game 2 to the Washington Capitals by a score of 3–1. Despite a second-period goal from Christian Dvorak that gave Montreal a brief lead, the Capitals struck back with two quick goals just 60 seconds apart. An empty-netter from Connor McMichael sealed the win for Washington, who also took Game 1 thanks to Alex Ovechkin’s overtime heroics.
Juraj Slafkovsky, the Canadiens’ 21-year-old forward, didn’t hold back in his postgame assessment. Through the first two games, he has been one of Montreal’s most utilized forwards, averaging over 21 minutes of ice time—yet he remains pointless in the series.
“There’s always something missing,” Slafkovsky said. “We keep saying, ‘Today it was this, tomorrow it’s that.’ We can’t keep making excuses. To win, we need to play nearly perfect hockey.”
When asked if there were any positives to take from the game, Slafkovsky acknowledged room for growth but stressed that the entire team—himself included—must elevate their play.
“Yeah, there are things we can build on, but everyone in this room has to be better,” he said. “It starts with me, then the rest of the team. We have to bring a different energy and a different game on Friday at home.”
Head coach Martin St. Louis praised his team’s effort but admitted that costly mistakes proved decisive.
“These two games have been invaluable learning experiences for our players,” St. Louis said. “We competed hard, but a few key moments swung the game in their favor.”
The series now shifts to Montreal’s Bell Centre for Game 3 on Friday night, with Game 4 also set to be played on home ice. If the Canadiens can extend the series, it will return to Washington for a potential Game 5.
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