WASHINGTON - After his team's wheels came off in the NHL playoffs, Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich helped a stranded motorist by changing her car's flat tire.

Driving following Washington's 2-1 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their first-round series, Laich pulled over when he saw the stopped car and got out to lend a hand, the Washington Post's website reported Thursday.

The Capitals said they confirmed the story with Laich.

He scored for Washington on Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough: The Capitals became the first top-seeded team eliminated by an eighth-seeded team after taking a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven NHL playoff series.