For the first time since the 2013-14 season the Washington Capitals will not be in the postseason. Tonight they face off against the Montreal Canadiens. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Capitals-Canadiens prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Washington enters the game losing four straight games and seven of their last eight. Their only win was a 6-1 victory over the Blackhawks, and the streak has brought the Caps to being eliminated from the playoff hunt. This may be a shock for those in the DC area, as for the first time since 2004 the Capitals and Wizards will both be outside of the playoffs. Montreal has not been much better lately either. they have lost their last four games and been shut out in their last two. Someone has to win tonight and end their losing streak.
Here are the Capitals-Canadiens NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Capitals-Canadiens Odds
Washington Capitals: -1.5 (+146)
Montreal Canadiens: +1.5 (176)
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How To Watch Capitals vs. Canadiens
TV: TSN2/NBCSW/ESPN+
Stream: NHLPP/ESPN+
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread
The offense has not been the main issue for the Capitals this year. They are averaging 3.09 goals per game on the season, and even in this losing spell, have averaged three goals per game in their last eight. Ovechkin has not scored in his last three but had five goals in four games before that. It would take a hot streak that only Ovi can do to get him to his 50th goal of the season, but there is still hope.
While Ovi is still being Ovi, Kuznetsov is not performing at the same rate as he did at to start of the year. Since March 1st, Kuznetsov has only four points and just one goal. He has failed to get a shot on goal in three of his last five games, and his production has heavily waned. Dylan Strome has stepped up though. He has had six goals and 12 assists since March 1st. His 18 points in 15 games have been one of the most consistent performances for the Capitals in the recent month.
Darcy Kuemper is expected to be in goal again for the Capitals. He has failed to record a win in his last four outings. In the last game, he let in five goals on 34 shots in the loss. He is over 4.00 goals against average in five of his last seven games, with two games at or below 1.00. Those two resulted in one win and one shootout loss. Kuemper has had some solid performances in the last month, and if he rebounds to have another, the Caps will win.
Why The Canadiens Could Cover The Spread
The Montreal offense has been dreadful this season. They are averaging just 2.74 goals per game, which places them 26th in the NHL. Their recent games do not add much hope to that. They have been shut out two times in a row and only scored two goals in each of the two games before that. Part of the slump may be due to not having Cole Caufield. Even though Caufield has not played since January 19th, he still leads the team in goals. Unless Nick Suzuki can catch him in the last four games, his 26 goals on the season will still lead Montreal.
Suzuki catching him to lead the team in goals seems unlikely. First, Suzuki is more of an assist guy, but he has not had one since March 25th in their 8-2 win over Columbus. That is also the last time Suzuki scored a goal and now has failed to record a point in five straight games. He needs to score tonight for Montreal to have a chance. With Caufield not coming back, and now Josh Anderson out for the year, Suzuki is the primary scorer for this squad.
Something that may help Suzuki would be if Rafael Harvey-Pinard could return. He is still listed as day-to-day but had started to pick up his goal-scoring. He had five goals in four games before going down with an injury. In March, he put seven goals in the back of the net, half of his season total.
In the cage tonight will be Samuel Montembeault. Montembeault has been good, despite his record not showing it. In his last appearance against Carolina, he had a .940 save percentage, but he faced 50 shots, let in three, and Montreal lost 3-0. He is averaging over three goals per game against him this year, but considering he faced nearly 35 shots per game on the season, that is not a bad goals-against average.
Final Capitals-Canadiens Prediction & Pick
Someone has to win this game. Both teams have been playing very poorly, and both teams will be missing guys. The disappointment of missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade might be weighing on the Capitals. Still, Ovi loves to score. He may go out and just chase getting to 50 goals, and if he decides to do that, he will get plenty of opportunities to put one in. He gets that tonight, and the offensive woes continue for Montreal.
Final Capitals-Canadiens Prediction & Pick: Capitals -1.5 (+146) and Under 6.5 (-110)
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