Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens (via Getty Images) The Washington Capitals overcame a two-goal deficit by scoring three goals in regulation and winning in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens by a 3-2 score. Ethen Frank scored two goals in the third period to send the match into overtime, where Connor McMichael scored the winning goal.After their flat initial play, the Capitals turned the tables on their opponents with intense pressure in the third period. Special teams pressure, secondary scoring, and big saves by Logan Thompson gave the Capitals their second victory in three games.
Ethen Frank scores twice to spark Washington Capitals’ comeback
NHL Highlights | Canadiens vs. Capitals – January 13, 2026
Ethen Frank started the Capitals’ third-period surge with his gritty play. First, he made the game 2-1 by redirecting Matt Roy’s shot from the point at 5:06 of the third period with the blade of his right foot off of Sam Montembeault.The Capitals finished the comeback at 4:21 in overtime when McMichael scored on a rebound at the right post. Montembeault had made the first save against the puck from Dylan Strome, but McMichael had bullied his way past coverage and pushed the puck through the goalie’s pad for the winning NHL overtime goal.“Just kind of drove the net there,” McMichael said. “[Rasmus Sandin] made a [great] play to ‘Stromer,’ and I just saw the goalie kind of fumble it there and I was lucky enough to be able to pull it out in time and put it in.”Logan Thompson finished with 24 saves for the Capitals, allowing Montreal to gain momentum but shutting the door once the Capitals got rolling. Thompson overcame a tough start to help the Capitals gain the momentum shift that would overwhelm Montreal down the stretch.“I think it was pretty obvious we were a little flat in the first 40 (minutes),” Thompson said. “We just kind of came in here and it was pretty quiet. I think everyone just said, ‘Enough is enough.’ We know we’re better than that and I think the third period really showed the type of team we can be.”The Canadiens dominated the first half of the game. The scoring opened in the first period, as Josh Anderson snapped one in from a 2-on-1 break, and then Brendan Gallagher doubled the lead in the second period with a wrist shot from the right side.Montreal could have scored during a critical power play late in the second period, which was a moment that loomed large throughout the game. However, they failed to capitalize on their lead, ultimately leading to their loss. Also read: Capitals get back on track as Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael lead 5-1 win over Blackhawks amid Connor