Capitals Beat Canadiens 5-4: What Did We Learn?

Some nights, a hockey game reminds you that scoring goals is only half the job. The Montreal Canadiens scored four times in Washington on Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough. The Capitals scored five, Alex Tuch had a three-point night, and Montreal went home with a 5-4 loss.

I'm not going to make too much of one game, especially when both teams were playing for the second night in a row. But a few things were worth noticing.

Alex Tuch Was the Difference for the Capitals.

Tuch scored twice and added an assist for Washington. His shorthanded goal in the second period was a big moment, and his second goal gave the Capitals a little breathing room late in the game. That's what good players do. They find ways to make a difference when the game is within reach. Washington needed someone to step up after two straight losses, and Tuch did.

Jordan Kyrou also had a goal and an assist, while Justin Holl and Ivan Miroshnichenko scored for the Capitals. It wasn't a one-man show, but Tuch was certainly the fellow who stood out.

Related: The Montreal Canadiens Need a Spark: Can Kaiden Guhle Help?

Josh Anderson Gave Montreal a Chance.

Anderson scored twice for the Canadiens, doing the kind of work around the net that doesn't always get enough attention. His first goal came early, and his second tied the game in the second period.

Montreal kept answering Washington's goals, which is encouraging. The Canadiens didn't simply fold when the Capitals took the lead. Nick Suzuki's late power-play goal made things interesting, too, although the comeback fell short.

Lane Hutson also scored, and his goal had a nice family angle. He was facing his younger brother Cole for the first time, which must have made the evening a little different for the Hutson family.

Four Habs Goals Should Be Enough, Shouldn't They?

Here's the part Montreal will want to revisit. Scoring four goals on the road usually gives a team a pretty good chance to win. But the Canadiens allowed five, including Tuch's shorthanded goal, and that was too much to overcome. The schedule wasn't doing either team any favours, so fatigue may have played a part. Still, Montreal will want to be sharper defensively.

One loss doesn't tell us everything about this team. But it does offer a reminder: the Canadiens have some players who can create offence, and they'll need to be more reliable without the puck if they want those efforts to turn into wins.

Four goals were a good night's work. Unfortunately for Montreal, they needed five.

Related: Owen Beck: The Strange Space Between Ready and Needed