A month ago, everyone in D.C. was wondering what was wrong into the Washington Capitals. Now, the Capitals are close to their familiar perch: in first place in the Eastern Conference. With a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the Capitals moved just one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, tonight.
Marcus Johansson scored off a nifty pass from Alex Ovechkin to break a 2-2 tie, and Mike Knuble added a power-play goal with just over three minutes remaining to give the Capitals their ninth-straight victory. The goal was Johansson's second of the game, as he also got the scoring going just 1:06 into the first period. Braden Holtby stopped 24 of 26 shots to get the win as he continues his hot streak.
The Capitals continue to show composure in close games. Seven of their previous wins came by just one goal, and this too was a tight game.
Washington now faces Detroit in Detroit on Wednesday, in a particularly difficult game. However, given the way the Capitals are playing, it's certainly winnable.