Thompson dazzles late as the Capitals beat the Canadiens in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead

WASHINGTON (AP) — Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome scored a minute apart early in the second period, Logan Thompson made some spectacular stops among his 25 saves and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.

Thompson was at his best in the third, notably robbing Josh Anderson of what would have been the tying goal on a 2-on-0 breakaway with 10:59 left, then later getting his stick on a deflection by Christian Dvorak. Fans chanted “L-T! L-T!” and gave the goaltender a standing ovation in honor of his performance in just his second game back from injury.

"He shut the door when we needed it most," Strome said. “He was unbelievable, especially in the last five minutes.”

Until that point, Thompson did not have much work to do as his teammates outshot Montreal 18-8 in the second when Washington tilted the ice toward Sam Montembeault. McMichael added his second of the game into an empty net with 1.1 seconds left.

McMichael and Strome scoring turned the tide in favor of the Capitals, who after an uneven start looked every bit like the top team in the Eastern Conference and one of the best in the NHL this season. They controlled the puck for long stretches and got to the middle of the ice in front of Montembeault easily and with little resistance from a smaller and less experienced opponent.

Still, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis liked elements of his team's game, including the play that led to Dvorak's goal that opened the scoring and the pressure put on the Capitals.

“It’s can you maximize those touches, those scoring chances — they’ve done that better than we have so far,” St. Louis said. I believe in the group. I think both goalies were great tonight. It’s a fine line between winning and losing."

Montembeault, like in Game 1, was arguably the Canadiens' best player, turning aside 29 of the 31 shots he faced, including Anthony Beauvillier on a quality scoring chance in the first and Nic Dowd on a shorthanded odd-man rush in the second. Cracking him twice allowed Washington to take control of the series.

“It was a tight game, but, yeah, a huge win,” captain Alex Ovechkin said. “They play hard, we play hard. It’s the playoffs. All the small details gonna count.”

Game 3 is Friday night in Montreal, marking the return of playoff hockey with Bell Centre full of fans. The last time that happened was 2017 because the Habs' 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final came when pandemic restrictions limited capacity to a crowd of 3,500.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stops the puck in the third period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stops the puck in the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, left, celebrates with defenseman Rasmus Sandin (38) after Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) celebrates with center Connor McMichael (24) and others after Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson deflects the puck in the third period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome, front, skates with the puck past Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson, back, in the first period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) battles for the puck against Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) shoots the puck in the first period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72) reaches for the puck past Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (35) in the first period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd (26) battles for the puck against Montreal Canadiens left wing Emil Heineman (51) and defenseman David Savard (58) in the first period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak (28) scores a goal against Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) stops the puck in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) celebrates his goal in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) celebrates his goal in the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Former U.S. skeleton athlete John Daly was once asked why anyone would decide to hurl themselves, head first, down an ice-coated mountainside chute on a thin sled with no safety equipment other than a helmet.

Daly laughed. “If I knew that, I probably wouldn't be out here,” he said.

Skeleton will be the sport for thrill-seekers to watch during the Milan Cortina Olympics. Not everyone can skate, not everyone has been on skis, very few would dare to try ski jumping, but anyone who has ever played in the snow probably knows the feeling of what skeleton athletes get on race day. It's the thrill of being on a sled, picking up speed, trying to figure out how to steer without having anything to steer with, then getting up and doing it all over again.

It's been in the Olympics since 1928, but took two long hiatuses and returned to the program in 2002.

Skeleton is the head-first sliding sport. Races begin with the sled on the ice, and the slider grabbing one of its handles, usually with one hand. The slider runs about 30 meters or so to build up speed, then leaps onto the sled and settles in for a ride that can exceed 80 mph (50 kph) down the track. Athletes steer with subtle shifts of their body and legs, all while their chins are often no more than a few inches from the surface of the ice.

There might not be a bigger gold-medal favorite at the Milan Cortina Games than British men’s skeleton athlete Matt Weston, the world champion who has simply dominated most World Cup and international fields. He was only 15th at the Beijing Games, then has gone gold-silver-gold in the last three world championships. In the women’s race, there are a slew of medal favorites and the sentimental choice might be Austrian great Janine Flock, maybe the top female skeleton racer ever, but she has yet to win an Olympic medal or a world championships gold. And in the debut of the mixed team skeleton event at the Olympics, watch Americans Mystique Ro and Austin Florian, the reigning world champions in that race.

Competition will take place from Feb. 12-15 at the Cortina Sliding Center.

Jimmy Shea and Tristan Gale won gold for the U.S. when the sport returned to the Olympic program at Salt Lake City in 2002. Shea was racing shortly after the death of his grandfather, Olympic speedskater Jack Shea, who won two gold medals at Lake Placid in 1932, and Jimmy Shea’s father Jim was an Olympic skier for the U.S. in 1964. Canada’s Jon Montgomery went from national here to national legend at the 2010 Vancouver Games when he won gold in the men’s skeleton race. On his way to an interview afterwards, an onlooker handed him a pitcher of beer and he promptly chugged about half of it.

The sport dates to the late 19th century, and its rather unusual name is believed to come from how the first metal sleds built for the sport had a bony, skeletal appearance. Skeleton was in the 1928 and 1948 Olympic programs, then fell into obscurity before it was revived as a World Cup sport and returned to the Olympics in 2002.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

FILE - Austin Florian, of The United States, prepares for the start of a training run for the men's World Cup Skeleton event in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Competition begins on Saturday. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

FILE - Mystique Ro, of the United States, poses with her second place trophy during the medal ceremony at the skeleton world championships, Friday, March 7, 2025, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

FILE - Matt Weston of Great Britain celebrates after winning the men's skeleton at the Skeleton World Cup race in Igls, near Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

FILE - Janine Flock, of Austria, slides during the women's skeleton run 3 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File)