Alex Tuch scored twice and added an assist to lead the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game skid behind strong contributions from their revamped roster.
The Washington Capitals are off to a strong start in the 2026-27 NHL season despite early stumbles, leaning heavily on core free agent additions who wasted no time making an impact. Tuch spearheaded the offensive charge on Wednesday night, notching a three-point performance that included two goals and a helper. His contributions proved pivotal as Washington fended off a persistent Montreal squad on home ice.
Alex Tuch and New Additions Spark Washington
Head coach Spencer Carbery offered high praise for his new veteran forward after the final horn, pointing to more than just the scoresheet. 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,
Carbery said.
Reflecting on the contest, Tuch noted that the team focused on simplicity amid turbulent moments. It wasn’t always pretty, we just rebounded really well in certain situations,
Tuch said of the win. We tried to get momentum back no matter what was going on. No one was gripping their stick too tight, no one was trying to do too much out there. I just thought we kept it simple and it’s a snowball effect.
Fellow newcomer Jordan Kyrou also contributed significantly to the attack, registering a goal and an assist in the win. Justin Holl and Ivan Miroshnichenko rounded out the goalscorers for Washington, while goaltender Charlie Lindgren stopped 26 shots to help the Capitals bounce back from a 4-2 defeat against Carolina earlier in the week. Tuch now shares the team lead in points with young forward Ryan Leonard, validating the club’s offseason decision to commit to an eight-year contract worth $84 million.
Josh Anderson Leads Montreal Counterpunch in Sibling Showdown
The Canadiens arrived in Washington looking for their third straight victory after edging Buffalo 4-3 in a shootout. Josh Anderson kept the visitors competitive by scoring twice in the opening period, finding soft spots in the Washington defense to bury feeds from Alex Newhook. This marked the first time Anderson scored two or more goals in a game since December 20th last season, when he scored two against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-0 win. Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki also found the back of the net for Montreal, with Hutson’s goal carrying extra historical weight as he faced his younger brother, Cole Hutson, in their first-ever NHL head-to-head meeting.
The sibling matchup highlighted a broader family dynamic featured on the ice, which also included brothers Aliaksei and Ilya Protas skating alongside Alexander Ovechkin on Washington’s third line. Off the ice, Lane and Cole maintain a close relationship, regularly talking on the phone and playing Xbox together during the season when neither has a game.
Despite staying even through the first 50 minutes of play, Montreal once again ran into trouble down the stretch. Through their first seven games of the season, the Canadiens have been outscored six goals to 10 in the third period, a trend that reared its head again as Washington broke a tight tie late in the game.
Late-Game Breakdown and Next Matchups
The tight contest swung decisively in the final frame when Justin Holl broke a 3-3 deadlock with 7:31 remaining, threading a point shot through traffic past goaltender Jakub Dobeš. Tuch followed shortly after with an insurance tally, his fifth goal of the campaign. Although Suzuki pulled the Canadiens back within one with 1:39 remaining on a power play utilizing an extra attacker, Washington held on for the two points.
Both teams return to action on Saturday. The Capitals will host the New Jersey Devils, while the Canadiens return home to face the Buffalo Sabres.