The Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals brawled after the end of the second period during a wild 6-3 Montreal victory Friday night that also saw both starting goalies leave at different times with injuries.
Players were on the ice to head toward their respective dressing rooms when things heated up.
Washington’s Tom Wilson and Montreal’s Josh Anderson started going after each other. Their fight continued on the Capitals bench while a linesman tried to separate them. They ended up on the floor on the bench.
While that was going on, other players started trying to get involved or tussling with each other.
Wilson and Anderson were given roughing minors and 10-minute misconducts. Washington’s Lars Eller and Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj also received roughing minors.
‘I was on my way to walk across the ice … so then I had to reverse my course and head back because there was two large individuals coming through the door that I was trying to exit,’ Capitals coach Spencer Carbery told reporters after the game. ‘It was just two competitive teams, two competitive guys going at it.’
After things were broken up, Wilson looked at Canadiens players and mocked them that they were crying.
Montreal won Game 3 as Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, the three forwards on their top line, each chipped in a goal. The Canadiens cut their series deficit to 2-1.
Sam Montembault, Logan Thompson injury updates
Goalie Sam Montembault left the game with an apparent injury in the middle of the second period and was replaced by Jakub Dobes. The Canadiens announced that Montembault would not return to the game.
Capitals goalie Logan Thompson also had a rough go. He was slashed in the head by Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and took a shot up high but stayed in the game. He later needed help getting off the ice in the third period after teammate Dylan Strome collided with him during the fifth Montreal goal.
Carbery said he didn’t have an update on Thompson.
Devils 3, Hurricanes 2 (2OT)
NEWARK, N.J. − The New Jersey Devils have never been swept out of a playoff series since moving to New Jersey, and that streak will continue.
Following a strong effort but a hard loss in Game 2, the Devils brought that momentum home to Newark and held and built a two-goal lead that would eventually evaporate.
Simon Nemec would get the game winner in double overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 to draw the Devils within two games to one in the series.
Dawson Mercer’s goal in the third period gave the Devils a multigoal lead for the first time in this series, which proved crucial as the Hurricanes would tie the game with two power play goals in the third period to force overtime.
– Robert Aitken Jr., Northjersey.com
Oilers make goalie change
Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard got the Game 3 start Friday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Stuart Skinner gave up 11 goals in the opening two losses and was pulled in Game 2.