The Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (51-22-9) on Wednesday, April 30th. 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 entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.

All of the scoring for Montreal came in the third period, with Christian Dvorak finding the net at 14:28. The Penguins sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:15. Montreal’s defense struggled with giveaways, committing 20 in the game.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

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

After giving up the first goal, the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. However, the Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the win.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, the Canadiens’ offense struggled to find the net, managing just one goal in a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak scored his first goal of the season at 14:28 in the third period, while Emil Heineman picked up his first assist and Juraj Slafkovsky added his seventh.

Montreal fired 26 shots on goal but was unable to convert on any of their 20 giveaways. The Canadiens were shut out through the first two periods before Dvorak’s goal in the third.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal in the Capitals’ 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. Ovechkin took 5 shots on goal, and Duhaime scored on one of his 3 attempts.

Washington recorded 21 shots on goal but struggled with 15 giveaways. After scoring twice in the first period, the Capitals were held scoreless for the rest of the game.

Montreal Team Defense

Defensively, the Canadiens gave up the first two goals of the game, with both coming from Sidney Crosby. The first was at 15:57 in the 1st period, and the second was at 18:40 in the 2nd. After cutting the deficit to 2-1, the Canadiens gave up an empty-net goal with 45 seconds left in the 3rd period. Goalie Sam Montembeault finished with 21 saves and a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals will look to bounce back after giving up four goals to Carolina. They had a 2-1 lead after the first period but allowed two goals in the second and another in the third. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, but the defense also gave up 44 shots on goal and had just two takeaways.

Canadiens vs Capitals Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 2-8 while going 4-6 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Washington has an puck line record of 3-2 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Washington has an puck line mark of 6-4 while going 5-5 straight up.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Canadiens have a good straight up record, but their puck line mark is just 2-3.

Canadiens vs Capitals Prediction

When it comes to a straight moneyline bet, look no further than the Capitals. Nevertheless, given the payout of -191, you could also think about incorporating this bet into a parlay.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Canadiens to cover. Even if the Capitals manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Canadiens should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.

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

* 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.