Capitals seek ‘killer instinct’ to knock out Canadiens in Game 5

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Washington Capitals have no interest in flying back to Montreal. The squad is looking to wrap up its first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens at home on Wednesday night. 

After the Capitals secured wins in two home games to start the series, they split their two-game set in Montreal. With a 3-1 series lead, Washington can move to the next round with one more victory. 

The already chippy series will only get more intense, several Capitals and coach Spencer Carbery said after Tuesday’s practice. 

“It’s our turn to win at home next game to close this series out. You never want it to drag,” Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. “Obviously, they’re going to be playing probably their best game of the season. They don’t want to go back home empty-handed.”

Montreal didn’t go down easily in the series’ first four games. The hard-fought playoff tilts have featured brutal hits, taunts and more than $60,000 in fines for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Washington defenseman Alex Alexeyev even lost three teeth in the series opener. The team’s equipment staff grabbed two of the chompers before a Zamboni could pass over them. 

Capitals forward Tom Wilson became one of the most hated men in Montreal during Sunday’s Game 4. A full-throated shoulder check by Washington’s alternate captain sent Josh Anderson to the ice and set up Brandon Duhaime for the game-tying goal. 

Wilson has no plans on changing his old-school playing style as the series wears on. 

“Since I was 8 years old, I’ve always loved the physical side of hockey,” he said Tuesday. “I grew up watching [commentator Don Cherry’s] ’Rock ’Em Sock ’Em’ videos. I love that part of the sport. … Obviously, that will always be part of my game.”

Closing out a series is a relatively new proposition for Wilson and the Capitals. The franchise hasn’t won a series since the Stanley Cup Final in 2018. Washington hasn’t clinched a postseason series at home since 2015. 

“You always want to win on home ice; you always want to win every game. We’ll be extremely motivated. We’re working really hard to get it done,” Wilson said. “Hopefully, we can close it out. It’s one more; it’s always the hardest one, but we want to get it done.”

Even if Wilson said the Capitals aren’t thinking about the past, many of their fans are.

Teams with 3-1 series leads in the NHL playoffs usually skate into the next round. And yet. Trailing teams have overcome such deficits 32 times. The Capitals gave up five of those.

Carbery doesn’t see his current squad as the type to choke away a lead.

“I’m not worried about our guys overlooking or feeling overconfident in the moment. That’s just not who we are as a team,” the second-year coach said. “But you do have to understand that it’s going to take our best to win a game and eliminate the Montreal Canadiens. You are going to get their best punch tomorrow night.” 

The Capitals will likely have some reinforcements as they try to deliver a knockout punch. Forward Aliaksei Protas, who has missed three weeks with a skate cut on his foot, was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice.

Protas had a career-best season before the injury, notching 30 goals and 36 assists while providing two-way versatility. 

He could join Washington’s lineup for Game 5, providing an extra boost that the Capitals have missed.

Alex Ovechkin will continue to lead the squad, though the 39-year-old missed Tuesday’s practice to rest. He has three goals in the series, tied with center Connor McMichael to lead the team.

Carbery said his team needs to find a “killer instinct” by playing slightly better than they have in the series.

“We need a little bit more to push this team out of the fight,” he said. “I think that the killer instinct is going to come with understanding the level that we’re going to have to play at tomorrow night to win a hockey game.”

Game 5 will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Capital One Arena. If necessary, Montreal’s Bell Centre will host Game 6 on Friday.