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Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals: NHL Odds, Prediction

  • Ricky Rothstein's Author profile. Ricky Rothstein

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One of the marquee matchups on Saturday’s very busy NHL schedule is between 2016-17 division winners Montreal (Atlantic) and Washington (Metropolitan) as the Capitals play their home opener. Washington is a -150 favourite on the Sports Interaction NHL odds board.

Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

Moneylines: Capitals -150, Canadiens +125 (5)

NHL Odds and Betting Analysis

This is one of three regular-season meetings between the Caps and Habs. They play again Jan. 19 in D.C. and March 24 in Montreal. The teams played at the Bell Centre this preseason and the Capitals won 4-2. Many key players sat that out.

Last year, the Capitals won the season series 2-1 – winning both in Montreal. Alex Ovechkin (1 G, 3 A) and Nicklas Backstrom (3G, 1A), easily the Caps’ two best players, led the team with four points each against the Habs. Braden Holtby was in net for all three and had a 1.69 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. Max Pacioretty (1G, 2 A) led Montreal with three points. Carey Price was in net for each game and had a 2.69 GAA and .911 save percentage.

As a home favorite in this regular-season series, the Capitals have won only four of the past 10, and the total has gone over just once. Montreal is 2-5 in its past seven vs. Metropolitan Division teams.

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal’s two big offseason additions were forwards Jonathan Drouin and Ales Hemsky. Drouin was acquired from Tampa Bay for blueline prospect Mikhail Sergachev (and a 2018 second-round pick) and then Drouin signed a big new extension with the Canadiens. Hemsky was signed as a free agent from Dallas after being limited to 15 games in 2016-17 due to a hip surgery. In Thursday’s 3-2 win in Buffalo, Drouin scored the only shootout goal and added an assist. Pacioretty and Phillip Danault scored in regulation, with Danault’s goal coming shorthanded with 11:59 remaining and eventually forcing OT. Hemsky was scoreless with two shots on goal and four penalty minutes. Price made 43 saves.

Washington Capitals

The Caps have won the Presidents’ Trophy the past two years as the team with the most regular-season points but both ended the same way: a second-round playoff loss to Sidney Crosby and the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Many expect the Caps to take a step back this year after losing some key pieces for salary-cap reasons. One departed player was stay-at-home defensemen Karl Alzner, who got a five-year deal from Montreal. He had played entire NHL career with the Capitals, who drafted him No. 5 overall in 2007. Washington opened with a 5-4 shootout win in Ottawa on Thursday. Ovechkin had a hat trick, coming with a span of 6:33 in the third period (the Sens led 3-1 at one point in the third), and added a shootout goal. It was the Russian’s 18th career hat trick and first in an opener. Caps right winger Tom Wilson was out as he served the beginning of a four-game suspension.

Canadiens at Capitals Prediction

Washington wins 3-2.