The Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals meet Tuesday in the NHL playoffs Game 5 at the Capital One Arena. Here’s a Capitals vs Canadiens Prediction. This article will include a Capitals vs Canadiens Pick.
Montreal Canadiens Betting Preview
The Montreal Canadiens need a win to save their season and force a game 6 on Friday. The Habs have lost four straight road games.
The Montreal Canadiens are averaging 2.75 goals per game and are scoring 38.5 percent of their power play opportunities. Cole Caufield leads Montreal with 3 goals, Lane Hutson has 5 assists, and Juraj Slafkovsky has 15 shots on goal. Defensively, the Montreal Canadiens are allowing 3.5 goals per game and are killing 90 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Sam Montembeault has allowed 7 goals on 76 shots faced, and Jakub Dobes has given up 4 goals on 32 shots.
Washington Capitals Betting Preview
The Washington Capitals look to make the second round for the first time since winning the cup in the 2017-18 season. The Capitals have won four of their last five home games.
The Washington Capitals are averaging 3.5 goals per game and are scoring 10 percent of their power play opportunities. Alex Ovechkin leads Washington with 3 goals, Dylan Strome has 5 assists, and Connor McMichael has 12 shots on goal. Defensively, the Washington Capitals are allowing 2.75 goals per game and are killing 61.5 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Logan Thompson has given up 10 goals on 114 shots faced, while Charlie Lindgren has allowed 1 goal on 5 shots.
Why the Washington Capitals will win
- The Capitals have won nine of their last 10 night games at Capital One Arena.
- The Canadiens have lost seven of their last eight road games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Capitals have covered the puck line in each of their last five night games at Capital One Arena following a road win.
- The Canadiens have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five games at Capital One Arena following a loss.
- The Capitals have won the third period in each of their last six games as favorites following a road win.
Why the Montreal Canadiens will win
- The Canadiens have won four of their last five playoff games when facing elimination.
- The Capitals have lost each of their last three Game 5s of a playoff series.
- The Canadiens have covered the puck line in 16 of their last 21 games as underdogs.
- The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in six of their last eight games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Capitals have lost the second period in seven of their last eight games when tied after the first period.
Washington Capitals Player Prop Facts
- Alex Ovechkin has scored the first goal in three of the Capitals’ last four games as home favorites.
- Dylan Strome has recorded at least one assist in eight of the Capitals’ last nine games as favorites.
- Dylan Strome has recorded at least one point in each of the Capitals’ last 11 night games.
- T.J. Oshie has scored at least one goal in each of his last four playoff appearances against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Aliaksei Protas ranks 1st in the Metropolitan Division for Plus/Minus (+40) this season.
Montreal Canadiens Player Prop Facts
- Cole Caufield has scored a goal in six of the Canadiens’ last seven games against the Capitals.
- Lane Hutson has recorded at least one assist in six of the Canadiens’ last seven games against the Capitals.
- Nick Suzuki has recorded at least one point in 14 of the Canadiens’ last 16 games against the Capitals.
- Mike Matheson ranks 1st in the Atlantic Division for average time on ice (25:05) this season.
Capitals vs Canadiens Injury Report
The Washington Capitals will be without Martin Fehervary, while Aliaksei Protas is questionable with a foot injury.
The Canadiens will be without Rafael Harvey-Pinard. Sam Montembeault, Patrik Laine, and Alexandre Carrier are questionable.
Capitals vs Canadiens Prediction
The Capitals have had their way in this series for the most part, and they’ve won six of the last eight games against the Habs overall. The Canadiens haven’t had much success on the road, where they’ve won just 17 games, while the Caps are 28-9-6 on their home ice.
The Canadiens have struggled to find consistent offense in this series, and have scored two or fewer goals in four of the last six games against the Capitals. The Capitals have been the more consistent, trustworthy team, and they’ve been great at home. I can’t go against them with the second round on the line. Give me the Caps and the PL for max betting value.