Alex Tuch Scores Twice as Capitals Edge Canadiens

Alex Tuch keeps cashing in for Washington. The winger scored twice, including a shorthanded snipe, and set up another goal as the Washington Capitals held off the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Wednesday at Capital One Arena.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Capitals (4-3-0), who lost 4-2 at Carolina on Tuesday. Tuch now has six points (five goals, one assist) in seven games since arriving in a June 24 sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

Shorthanded strike, then the dagger

This one swung all night. Josh Anderson opened the scoring for Montreal at 4:29 of the first, Jordan Kyrou answered, Lane Hutson put the Habs back in front, and Ivan Miroshnichenko tied it 2-2 on a power play with 26 seconds left in the period in his season debut.

Tuch gave Washington its first lead while killing a penalty at 6:16 of the second. He grabbed a deflected puck, raced into the zone on a 2-on-1 and ripped a wrist shot from the left circle. Anderson tipped in his second of the night later in the period to make it 3-3.

Justin Holl broke the tie at 12:29 of the third with a wrist shot through traffic from the right point, his second goal in two games. Alex Ovechkin picked up his 760th career assist on the play, two shy of Nicklas Backstrom's franchise record of 762. Tuch made it 5-3 at 17:05 with a spinning shot from the right circle, and Washington needed every bit of it. Nick Suzuki scored at 18:21 with Montreal skating 6-on-4, but the Capitals hung on.

"Phenomenal third period," coach Spencer Carbery said. He was just as clear about his new winger. "Not just the production, the overall package of Alex Tuch is going to be a welcomed addition for a lot of years to come and he's off to a great start."

What Washington paid for

Tuch signed an eight-year, $84 million contract before the trade was completed, a $10.5 million average annual value for the 30-year-old. Seven games in, the goals are showing up on schedule.

Charlie Lindgren, who made 26 saves, had seen that shot from the other end for years. "After playing him for the last four years, you know how deadly his release is and you saw it tonight, too," Lindgren said. "Two massive goals there, and just sniper's goals."

Tuch kept his own review simple. "No one was gripping their stick too tight, no one was trying to do too much out there," he said. "I just thought we kept it simple and it's a snowball effect."

Notes from the night

Cole Hutson and Lane Hutson each recorded a point in their first head-to-head meeting, the second set of defenseman brothers in NHL history to do it, after Luke and Quinn Hughes in 2023. Lindgren's win was his 68th with Washington, passing Pat Riggin for seventh on the franchise list. Jakub Dobes made 18 saves for Montreal (3-3-1), which had won its previous two games.

Capitals fans wanted a finisher, and they got one. Five goals in seven games says Tuch is not easing into D.C.