Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals Game 1 Prediction, NHL Odds
Alex Ovechkin will begin the quest for his second Stanley Cup on Monday night as the Caps host an exciting Habs team hungry to prove they are the real deal.
The Caps are the -190 favourite to win at home on Monday, according to the NHL odds, and the game total is sitting at an even 6 goals. Puck drop for Game 1 from Capital One Arena is set for 7:00 PM ET.
Canadiens vs. Capitals NHL Betting Odds
The situation was very similar to the last time these teams met in the playoffs, way back in 2010. Ovi and the Caps came in as the heavily favoured #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while Montreal snuck into the last playoff spot. The Canadiens took that series in seven games, upsetting Washington and going all the way to the Conference Finals.
Washington will open the series as the -250 favourite to win on our NHL Futures Board, with the most likely outcome being 4-1 Caps, paying out at +333. The series’ top goal scorer has some interesting lines with Ovechkin leading the way at +300, followed by teammate Tom Wilson at +500. Cole Caufield is the first Canadien on the list, paying out +600. The wildcard in this series is definitely rookie Ivan Demidov, who scored his first NHL goal in his first game. He is listed as +2000 to lead the series and +1000 to lead his team.
Montreal and Washington played three times this season, but have not faced off since early January. The Caps took the season series 2-1, outscoring the Canadiens 12-8. It is worth mentioning that Sam Montembeault only started one of those games for the Habs, but did give up four goals in a loss.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens made history this season, becoming the youngest team ever to make the postseason, being led by young stars like captain Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and rookie Lane Hutson. Hutson made history of his own, tying the record for most assists in a season by a rookie defenceman (60).
The Habs would not be in the postseason if it had not been for their 15-5-6 record after the Four Nations break. Sam Montembeault has been lights out since the tournament, going 13-3-4 with a .912 save percentage. Nick Suzuki has also been one of the best players in the league since then, putting up 37 points (15G, 22A) in 26 games. The Canadiens’ captain asked the GM not to sell at the deadline to give the team a chance to prove themselves, and the gamble has paid off big time.
The final few weeks of the schedule were gruelling for this team, fighting all the way until game 82 to secure their spot. Although they may be exhausted, the four-day break should help. The fresh set of legs from Ivan Demidov will also be a boost, as he has proven to be worthy of the hype in his first two games in the uniform.
Washington Capitals
Washington surprised everyone with their hot start and rode it to the end, picking up the Eastern Conference title for the first time since 2017. The season was capped off historically when Alex Ovechkin scored six goals in a five-game stretch to pass Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
The focus may have been on Ovechkin too much, as the Caps fell off significantly after the Four Nations break, going just 15-11-1. Ovi himself really picked it up after the break though, gathering 30 points (18G, 12A) in the last 26 games.
Two big components of the Capitals’ success this season have been their goaltending and their scoring depth, which will both be taking a step back in Game 1. Goalie Logan Thompson was dialled in this season, going 31-6-6 with a .910 save percentage. He will not be available on Monday as he has been out since April 2nd. Aliaksei Protas will also be out for the beginning of the series as he recovers from his injury. Protas was huge for the Caps this season, breaking out with 30 goals and 66 points. 4
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