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The Bell Centre was set ablaze with emotion Friday night as the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals transformed Game 3 of their NHL playoff series into an unforgettable battle - one that saw a massive bench-clearing brawl before Montreal pulled away for a 6-3 victory.
As the horn sounded to end the second period with Montreal clinging to a 3-2 lead, a routine march to the locker rooms suddenly morphed into a chaotic fracas.
A scuffle erupted right in front of the Capitals' bench, culminating with Josh Anderson and Tom Wilson grappling so fiercely that their fight spilled into the bench area itself after the door swung open.
Linesman Kyle Flemington found himself wedged between players trying to separate the pair, while the crowd roared.
When the dust settled, Anderson and Wilson were each handed two minutes for roughing and 10-minute misconducts. Lars Eller of the Capitals and Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj were also penalized for roughing.
True to form, Wilson escalated tensions further by turning to the Canadiens bench and mimicking a crying face - a taunt that instantly went viral but backfired after Montreal sealed the win.
What sparked the Canadiens vs Capitals bench brawl?
The second-period eruption wasn't spontaneous - tensions had been simmering from warmups. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted during the broadcast that the atmosphere shifted the moment Arber Xhekaj hit the ice for his postseason debut.
"This was brewing, and it was brewing ever since Xhekaj showed up on the ice for warmup," Friedman said.
Former NHL defenseman Kevin Bieksa added, "Everyone gets 20 pounds heavier and grows 3 inches bigger" once the playoffs begin, emphasizing how Xhekaj's tough presence emboldened the Canadiens.
The brawl was ignited when Wilson delivered a hit on Jake Evans, prompting retaliation from Ivan Demidov. Although officials initially separated the players, Anderson later found Wilson, and their confrontation erupted into the wild melee seen across social media.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens faithful inside the Bell Centre erupted into chants of "Ole Ole Ole," making it clear who had the momentum heading into the third period.
Canadiens crush Capitals after fiery second-period showdown
Despite Alex Ovechkin tying the game for Washington early in the third period, Montreal responded with a vengeance. Christian Dvorak restored the lead almost immediately, and the Canadiens piled on with goals from Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook to seal a dominant 6-3 victory.
Montreal's offensive firepower was well-distributed, with additional tallies from Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Alexandre Carrier, and Nick Suzuki. However, it wasn't all good news - Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault exited in the second period with a lower-body injury, replaced by rookie Jakub Dobes.
Washington's night worsened when goalie Logan Thompson left the game in the third after a collision with teammate Dylan Strome.
With the win, the Canadiens narrowed the Capitals' series lead to 2-1. The teams will clash again in Game 4 on Sunday night at Bell Centre, where emotions - and tensions - are sure to run high once again.