Laraque, who had missed time with injuries, was heading into the final year of a three-year contract worth $4.5 million.

The 33-year old was known as the team’s enforcer, something virtually every team in the NHL has to have.

The Canadiens have banished him from the team because they considered him to be a distraction.

He was still on the roster, but was not seen at games or practices. If you are getting paid but told to stay away, you must be causing some serious problems.

The Canadiens were in control, up 4-1 and 4-2 in the third period, and 5-4 with just minutes remaining before letting the Capitals tie it up and ultimately prevail in overtime.

By all accounts, Montreal outplayed Washington for the majority of the game. But even after the Caps came storming back to tie the game at 4 apiece and grab all the momentum, the Canadiens didn’t blink, regaining the lead late in the third period to stun the home crowd. But they couldn’t close the deal, allowing John Carlson to score with just over a minute left and Nicklas Backstrom net his third goal of the game in the first minute of overtime.

Montreal wasted Andrei Kostitsyn’s hat trick and will need a strong showing at home to regain control of the series. Could the Canadiens be coming back down to earth and playing like the No. 8 seed that they are? Or can they find another gear and shock the league’s best team? Monday’s Game 3 could not be more important.