Final Score: Canadiens 2, Capitals 1

It's often said that a hot goaltender can carry an NHL team in the playoffs. No matter how talented a team may be, they can lose to a spectacular goalie performance.

The Capitals were victims of that sentiment, as Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak was an inpenetrable force between the pipes in this series, barely holding off a ferocious Capitals offensive attack by 1 goal in Game 7.

The top seed in the Eastern Conference and favorites to win the 2010 Stanley Cup have been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens.

Alexander Ovechkin's team lost Game 7 at home 2-1 despite a 42-16 shot advantage. Canadiens' goalie Jaroslav Halak played an unbelievable series capped off by a 41-save performance in tonight's game. Halak was by far the MVP of this series that saw 5 of the 7 games won by the road team.

Washington was the NHL's best home team during the regular season, but they lost Games 1, 5 and 7 on their home ice.

Halak's goaltending was the main reason for Montreal's stunning upset of the league's top team. But another major factor was the Capitals' inability to score on the Power Play.

The Elias Sports Bureau notes that Washington's 1 for 33 on Power Plays in this series is the worst percentage in 23 years. Despite a major shots-on-goal advantage, the Capitals could not score with the man advantage throughout this series.

Alex Ovechkin had 10 points in the series, including 5 goals. But he was held scoreless in this decisive Game 7, and he was not the most dominant player in the series. That distinction goes to Halak and his stellar goaltending all series long.

Ovechkin, who may win the MVP award this season, is headed home early for the 3rd straight season. After his Capitals held a 3-1 series advantage, fans got excited for the potential Capitals-Penguins matchup in round 2. Ovechkin v. Crosby is the top rivalry in the Eastern Conference and the matchup that all fans want to see.

But fans will have to settle with appreciating one of the greatest upsets in the history of the NHL playoffs. The 8-seed Canadiens came back from an impossible 3-1 deficit to the league's best team, and are headed to round 2.

Washington got nothing out of star players Alexander Semin or Mike Green in this series. While Ovechkin was not completely dominant, he had a very solid 7 games and did his part to try to lead his team to victory. He needed more help, and needed to see a different man protecting the Montreal goal.

Jaroslav Halak and Montreal will move on to face another one of the NHL's top players. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins wait in round 2, and will not be excited to face the red hot goaltender.

Ovechkin and the Capitals head home way before most thought they would. The Stanley Cup favorites are stunned, while the Canadiens are ecstatic. It's tough to tell whether it's a good or bad thing for the NHL that this happened. On one hand, the massive upset creates an underdog to root for going forward. But at the same time, the most electrifying player in the sport is now missing from the game's postseason.

But the Canadiens can care less about the storyline. They are headed to the second round after pulling off the massive upset. We'll see what kind of encore Jaroslav Halak has planned for the Penguins.