Capitals hold off Canadiens 5-4 at Capital One Arena

Washington survived a wild one Thursday night, beating the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 at Capital One Arena to move to 4-3-0 on the young season.

It was not clean. Four goals went in the first period alone, and Montreal kept pushing every time the Capitals tried to pull away. But in the end, Tuch's pair of goals and Ilya Protas's two assists were the difference.

Montreal drew first blood. Josh Anderson snapped one past the Washington netminder early in the opening frame, with Alex Newhook picking up the helper. Then Jordan Kyrou answered for the Capitals, finishing off feeds from Cole Hutson and Tuch to tie it. Lane Hutson put Montreal back in front before Ivan Miroshnichenko knotted it again, beating the goalie with a wrist shot. Kyrou got the second assist on that one.

Four goals. One period. Zero breathing room.

The second period sorted things out a little. Tuch ripped an unassisted slap shot to put Washington ahead for the first time. Then Anderson struck again for Montreal, his second of the game, with Newhook assisting for the second time as well. Tied again going to the third.

Washington finally got separation in the third. Justin Holl converted on a snap shot, with Protas and Alex Ovechkin picking up assists. That gave the Capitals a 4-3 lead. Tuch added his second of the night shortly after, another unassisted effort, to push it to two goals. Nick Suzuki pulled one back for Montreal late, making it 5-4, but Washington kept the lead and ran out the clock.

Tuch finished with three points on the night. Protas had two assists. For Montreal, Anderson's two goals were not enough, and Newhook's two helpers came in a losing effort.

Ovechkin's secondary assist on the Holl goal was the only point on his ledger, but it kept his name on the scoresheet as Washington earned the two points.