The Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (51-22-9) on Wednesday, April 23rd. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN. Both the Canadiens and Capitals will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Canadiens vs Capitals

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins moved their record to 40-31-11. The Canadiens were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.

Christian Dvorak scored Montreal’s only goal at 14:28 in the third period, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Penguins sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:15 in the final period.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, Washington’s record now stands at 51-22-9. The Capitals were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.

After falling behind 1-0, Washington responded with two goals in the first period. However, the Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals to secure the win.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

Montreal’s offense managed 26 shots on goal but only found the net once in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak scored his first goal of the season, with Emil Heineman picking up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky adding his seventh.

The Canadiens were held scoreless through two periods before Dvorak’s goal at 14:28 in the third. Montreal also recorded 20 giveaways in the game.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense got off to a quick start, with Alex Ovechkin netting his 7th goal of the season on a power play, followed by Brandon Duhaime’s 2nd goal. The Capitals took 21 shots on goal but were held scoreless after the first period.

Washington recorded 15 giveaways and added two assists, including John Carlson’s 7th and Dylan Strome’s 13th of the season. Nic Dowd also picked up his 2nd assist on Duhaime’s goal.

Montreal Team Defense

Montreal’s defense allowed the first two goals in their previous game, with both coming from Sidney Crosby. The first was at 15:57 in the 1st period, and the second was a power-play goal at 18:40 in the 2nd. After the Canadiens cut the lead to 2-1, they conceded an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the 3rd. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Washington Team Defense

Washington’s defense will be looking to bounce back after giving up three straight goals in their previous game against the Hurricanes. The first came at 2:29 into the 2nd period, followed by another at 5:26, and a final empty-netter with just 9 seconds left in the 3rd. The Capitals had taken a 2-1 lead into the 2nd period. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the defense allowed 44 shots on goal from Carolina.

Canadiens vs Capitals Trends

• Although Montreal has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 5-5. The team averaged 2 goals per game in these games.
• Across the Capitals last three home games, the team averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 3. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 2-1 straight-up.
• The last three games that Washington was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
• As the betting favorite, the Canadiens have an puck line mark of just 3-7 in their last ten games. Montreal posted a straight up mark of 8-2 in these matchups.

Canadiens vs Capitals Prediction

If you’re looking for a straight moneyline bet, then the Capitals are the way to go. However, with a payout of -197, you might consider using this bet as a leg of a parlay.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Canadiens to cover. Even in the event of a Capitals victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Canadiens should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.