Both Washington and Montreal rank among the NHL’s most-improved teams this season; the Caps jumped 20 points from 91 to 111, and the Habs hopped from 76 to 91, making the playoffs with a 4-2 victory over Carolina in their final game of the season, and with the exact same point total that got the Caps to the dance last April.

The Montreal Canadiens faced a significant setback during their 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Netminder Sam Montembeault exited midway through the second period with an apparent lower-body injury, forcing rookie Jakub Dobes to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.

Canadiens starting goalie Sam Montembeault left in the second period of Game 3 on Friday night, and Capitals starter Logan Thompson exited late in the third period after a collision with teammate Dylan Strome.