WASHINGTON (AP) — Braden Holtby stopped 29 shots, Jason Chimera had a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals beat the struggling Montreal Canadiens 3-1 Saturday night for their seventh straight victory.
Off to the best start in franchise history, Washington leads the Eastern Conference with a 26-6-2 record and has won eight straight at home. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jay Beagle also scored for the Capitals.
Holtby allowed only a second-period goal to Daniel Carr in earning his NHL-leading 22nd victory. He’s 8-0-2 lifetime against Montreal with a goals-against average well under 2.
Montreal has been outscored 22-6 while losing its last six games and has dropped 10 of 11 since Dec. 1.
Montreal’s collapse coincides with the absence of top goaltender Carey Price and star right wing Brendan Gallagher. Price has been sidelined since Nov. 25 with a lower body injury and Gallagher missed his 15th straight game with broken fingers.
Rookie goalie Mike Condon had 30 saves for the Canadiens. Montreal is clinging to the top spot in the Atlantic Division on the strength of their 19-4-3 start. They’re now 20-14-3.
After Beagle put the Capitals up 2-0 at 1:30 of the second period with a wrist shot from the right circle, Carr answered just 24 seconds later, stuffing in the rebound of a shot by Andrei Markov.
Not long after that, Condon kicked away a shot by John Carlson at the end of a 2-on-1 involving Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.
Chimera clinched it at 11:15 of the third period, outskating Alexei Emelin down the right side on a breakaway and lifting the puck past Condon.
Washington outshot the Canadiens 10-5 in the first period and got the only goal at 6:45 when Kuznetsov deflected a shot by Nate Schmidt past Condon.
A lengthy fight between Montreal’s Jarred Tinordi and Capitals winger Tom Wilson earned each five minutes in the penalty box, raising Wilson’s total this season to 86 minutes in 34 games.
Wilson also had two assists.
NOTES: Washington is 19-1 when scoring first and 12-0 when leading after the first period. … This was the fourth of eight straight road games for Montreal. … Carr made his NHL debut on Dec. 5 and has four goals in 10 games and three in the last four. … The Capitals recalled D Connor Carrick from Hershey (AHL) and scratched him from the game. … Montreal’s Lars Eller played in his 400th career game.
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