Frustration is mounting as Washington Capitals defeat the Montreal Canadiens and take 3-1 lead

The Washington Capitals weathered the storm and pulled away late for a 5-2 victory and they are taking a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference First Round matchup.

Montreal came out strong in front of their home crowd by pushing the pace and playing with urgency, but the Canadiens couldn't capitalize enough against Logan Thompson.

The game was physical and there was growing frustration especially from the Canadiens' bench with some no calls by te referees.

After a series of missed calls and questionable penalties, head coach Martin St.Louis didn't hold back postgame by saying:

The goals from Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki kept Montreal close, but turnovers and defensive lapses were costly once again and Washington took advantage of Montreal's mistakes by pulling away in the third period.

Logan Thompson made big saves to preserve the lead, while Charlie Lindgren remained ready after briefly taking over in Game 3.

For Washington, the formula was simple but effective and it's to capitalize on Montreal's mistakes and stay composed under pressure.

Now, the Canadiens face elimination as the series shifts back to Washington for Game 5 on Wednesday and they'll need to have their best performance yet to extend their playoff hopes and hope that some better luck and perhaps a few more calls, come their way.

The Capitals on their side will look to close it out at home and move one step closer to another deep postseason run.