MONTREAL

Mitchell scores twice as Montreal beats Washington in NHL exhibition

Kelsey Patterson The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, September 28, 2016 7:24AM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, September 28, 2016 7:30AM EDT

Montreal Canadiens' Alexander Radulov, from Russia, celebrates after scoring the first goal against Washington Capitals goaltender Vitek Vanecek, from the Czech Republic, during first period NHL pre-season hockey action Tuesday, September 27, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

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Torrey Mitchell scored twice as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2 in a penalty-filled NHL pre-season game on Tuesday night.

Alexander Radulov, in his Habs debut, Paul Byron and Nathan Beaulieu also scored for Montreal (1-1-0). Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn each had three assists.

Goalie Al Montoya, also making his first appearance with Montreal, made seven saves on eight shots. His replacement Zachary Fucale turned away eight shots in relief.

Marcus Johansson and Zachary Sanford scored for Washington (0-1-1) while Vitek Vanecek stopped 24-of-29 shots.

Radulov wasted no time getting his first goal in a Canadiens uniform, scoring on the power play at 4:12 of the first period.

The Russian, who signed a one-year contract with Montreal in the off-season, got the blade of his stick on Pateryn's shot from the point to deflect the puck past Vanecek.

The 30-year-old veteran, who played the last four seasons with CSKA Moscow in the KHL, also got an assist on Beaulieu's goal later that period.

With the Canadiens again on the power play, the former Nashville Predator and QMJHL star made a spectacular pass to Beaulieu from one face-off circle to the other. With Vanecek out of position, Beaulieu slotted home his first of the pre-season.

The game was chippy and penalty-filled, with both teams combining for more than 50 penalty minutes.

The bad blood between both teams reached its boiling point late in the second period when Andrew Shaw knocked Connor Hobbs face-first into the end boards.

Caps forward Nathan Walker took exception to the hit and dropped the gloves with Shaw.

The Habs winger was given 20 penalty minutes on the play and a game misconduct. The Capitals bench was visibly irate as Shaw skated past them to the dressing room.

Down 2-0, Johansson got one back for the visitors at 9:13 of the second period before Byron answered right back with a breakaway goal 11 seconds later.

Mitchell made it 4-1 for Montreal at 16:13 of the second. The 31-year-old added his second of the evening late in the third period to put the match out of Washington's reach.

Sanford scored a consolation goal for the Caps at 15:57.