Alex Tuch scored twice and registered an assist to inspire Washington's comeback victory over Montreal, while Roope Hintz converted the decisive shootout attempt to give Dallas a crucial road win in Denver.
The Capitals recovered from repeated setbacks to end their losing streak, while the Stars bounced back from a defeat against Colorado the previous night to split their two-game series.
Capitals withstand Canadiens fightback in nine-goal thriller
Washington produced an attacking response to defeat Montreal 5-4 in a game that featured several changes of momentum.
The Canadiens took the lead through Josh Anderson before Washington's Jordan Kyrou levelled the contest. Montreal regained the advantage when Lane Hutson scored, but Ivan Miroshnichenko equalised for the Capitals with a power-play goal late in the opening period.
Tuch then put Washington ahead 3-2 early in the second period with a short-handed goal, finishing a two-on-one counter-attack with an impressive shot. Anderson responded with his second goal of the game to restore parity at 3-3.
The decisive period belonged to the Capitals, who found the net twice to establish a two-goal cushion and withstand Montreal's late push.
Tuch leads Washington with two goals and an assist
Tuch proved the difference-maker for Washington, combining his scoring ability with a key contribution to the team's attacking play.
His short-handed strike gave the Capitals a 3-2 advantage, while his second goal arrived late in the third period to make it 5-3 and provide a crucial buffer.
Justin Holl also scored for Washington, while Kyrou and Miroshnichenko contributed goals in a performance that helped the team recover after two consecutive defeats.
Montreal refused to give up, with Nick Suzuki scoring late on the power play to reduce the deficit to 5-4. However, Washington held on for the victory.
Goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren made 26 saves for the Capitals, while Montreal's Jakub Dobes stopped 18 shots.
The Canadiens actually outshot Washington 29-24 and converted one of their two power-play opportunities. The Capitals scored once from four power plays, demonstrating how their short-handed goal and late finishing proved decisive.
Dallas Stars overcome Avalanche in shootout
In Denver, the Dallas Stars earned a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche after the teams finished regulation time and overtime level.
The opening period ended goalless, with Colorado having two goals overturned following video reviews. Gabriel Landeskog eventually broke the deadlock in the second period, putting the Avalanche ahead after deflecting a pass from Nazem Kadri.
Dallas responded through defenceman Miro Heiskanen, whose wrist shot levelled the score at 1-1 late in the second period.
The Stars then took the lead early in the third period when Arttu Hyry scored a short-handed goal, intercepting a pass near his own blue line before racing forward to beat goalkeeper Scott Wedgewood.
Colorado restored parity through Brock Nelson, who converted a rebound to make it 2-2 and force overtime.
Neither team found a winner during the additional period, sending the contest to a shootout.
Hintz delivers decisive shootout goal
The shootout provided the final twist, with Jason Robertson scoring for Dallas before Hintz converted in the fourth round to give the Stars the advantage.
Casey DeSmith then denied Nelson's attempt to secure the victory for the visitors, finishing the night with 25 saves during regulation and overtime before stopping three of Colorado's four shootout attempts.
Heiskanen and Hyry scored the regulation goals for Dallas, while Landeskog and Nelson found the net for Colorado.
The result was particularly valuable for the Stars after they had lost 3-2 to the Avalanche in the first game of the home-and-home series on Tuesday.
Dallas outshot Colorado 22-27, while both teams struggled to capitalise on power-play opportunities. The Stars went 0-for-2, and the Avalanche finished 0-for-4.
Two disallowed goals frustrate Colorado
Colorado's night was complicated by two first-period goals being overturned.
The first was ruled out after Dallas successfully challenged for offside, while Landeskog later had another effort disallowed after officials determined that he had used a distinct kicking motion to direct the puck into the net.
Those decisions forced the Avalanche to wait until the second period to register a valid goal, despite their early attacking pressure.
Colorado also came close to scoring in the third period when Gavin Brindley's shot struck both posts without crossing the goal line.
Despite outshooting Dallas, the Avalanche could not find a decisive third goal and ultimately suffered a shootout defeat.
NHL results: Wednesday, 14 October 2026
• Washington Capitals 5-4 Montreal Canadiens: Alex Tuch scored twice and added an assist as Washington recovered from a back-and-forth contest to claim victory.
• Dallas Stars 3-2 Colorado Avalanche (shootout): Roope Hintz scored the decisive shootout goal after Dallas and Colorado finished regulation and overtime level at 2-2.
What the results mean
Washington's victory ended a two-game losing streak and gave the Capitals renewed momentum after a difficult run of results. Tuch's three-point performance was central to the turnaround, while the team's ability to score short-handed proved decisive in a match where Montreal generated more shots.
For Dallas, the shootout win provided a response to Tuesday's defeat and allowed the Stars to leave Colorado with one victory from the two-game series.
The Avalanche will rue their missed opportunities and overturned goals, while the Canadiens will be disappointed that their attacking pressure did not translate into a result.
Both games highlighted the fine margins in the NHL, where special-teams moments, goaltending and shootout execution can determine the outcome of tightly contested matches.