What’s hockey without a nice bit of fists being exchanged? After all, that’s what most fans live for: the heightened emotions, even higher stakes, and a good round of fisticuffs. But even the Washington Capitals fans probably weren’t ready for what came their way just moments ago. Alex Ovechkin & Co. got things rolling in their third match of the playoffs against the Canadiens, with a fair bit of scrum inside the rink. But it wasn’t anything like anybody had previously witnessed.

The pot had already been simmering after Games 1 and 2 saw Cole Caufield become a walking, talking hit magnet, thanks to Tom Wilson letting it loose and Alex Ovechkin playing like it’s 2005 again. So it was only a matter of time before a full-fledged fire raged. The Caps and the Canadiens aren’t the best of friends, we admit. And yet, fans could hardly believe their eyes when all hell broke loose at Bell Centre about an hour ago.

Tonight, it would be Montreal’s Josh Anderson who seemed to trigger Wilson’s inner UFC champ. Just before the second period of today’s Washington vs. Montreal match, a large number of blows were exchanged. So far, so normal, right? Here’s the scale-tipper: the fight broke out at the Caps’ bench. Spittin’ Chiclets took to X on April 25 to share the chaotic scenes for the Capitals’ Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs with the caption, “FIGHTS ON THE BENCH?!?! CHAOS ERUPTE IN MONTREAL TO CLOSE THE SECOND PERIOD,” with a popcorn emoji, not even trying to hide the fact that they were loving every second of the bizarre incident.

At the end of the second period, with the Canadiens leading 3-2, it was time for the players to leave the ice. Several players, however, decided to loiter around. The next thing you know, there’s some shoving and pushing, and soon Wilson and Anderson could be seen taking a tumble over the fence and into the Caps’ bench as they kept lunging at each other. The refs did their best to get the two frantic stars away from each other, as Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kaiden Guhle also decided to join in on the festivities, and the Bell Centre erupted in loud cheers, seeing some good ol’ hockey.

However, some hockey fans were in a soup. To support a fight at the benches or see it for what it is: an anomaly, a scene that is almost alien to the sport altogether. Naturally, many hockey connoisseurs weren’t functioning properly in their brains. “i’ve been on this planet for nearly three decades watching a LOT of hockey but i’ve NEVER seen a fight on the bench itself,” one fan said what most of us were feeling.

On the night that Alex Ovechkin scored yet another goal to bulk up his postseason stats further, it was the skirmish at the Washington Capitals’ bench that hogged all the attention. And still, despite remaining a cornerstone of the sport, many fans were visibly taken aback by the rarity of the stage where the bout broke out.

The Washington Capitals’ star trumps Ovechkin to be the star of the show

It looked like Wilson’s coming after Anderson gave the Canadiens a sort of kick to the system that the Montreal side didn’t have in the first two games of the playoffs. By the end of the night, after three matches of the seven-game series had concluded, the Habs cut down the Caps’ lead by half by pulling off an impressive 6-3 win. The two Eastern Conference giants met five times in the regular season, with Ovechkin’s clan winning three of those matches. Naturally, with Washington winning the first two games in the postseason as well, emotions were running high today. However, after a while, Josh seemed to have returned to his senses and took himself off the Capitals’ bench. But fans only wanted to know where he ended up. “How far can Anderson run to avoid that fight? Maybe the parking lot?” wondered a bemused fan. “Tom would smoke him lmao Anderson is so soft,” another fan was all about handing the round to the Caps winger.

While fans were still looking for Anderson, Wilson wasn’t done taking potshots at the Canadiens. After his sparring partner extracted himself from the Washington Capitals’ bench, Tom turned his attention toward the rest of the Canadiens and sneered with mock crying at tonight’s hosts. Fans couldn’t stop having a laugh. “Tom Wilson after was the best. Instant meme material,” certified one fan.

While some hockey pundits seem to believe that Washington doesn’t have what it takes to advance to further stages, fans are just happy to see hockey at its finest. “Playoff Hockey,” one fan reminded, why the beautiful sport is beautiful indeed. With today’s win, the Canadiens also proved that they shouldn’t be discounted just yet. The Washington Capitals lead the series 2-1, but there are still 4 games left, and plenty of headroom for Montreal to pull back. “The rest of this series is gonna be….chef’s kiss,” one fan can’t wait for the next round of the action.

Who do you suspect would come out on top in the all-Canadian match-up? Share your predictions with us!