Canadiens at Capitals Expert Predictions & Picks
I'm taking the Over 6.5 goals when Montreal visits Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET. I'm adding Cole Caufield over 4.5 shots on goal at a big plus price.
Both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, and both are expected to go to their other goalie. For Montreal that's Dobes, who has allowed 13 goals on 91 shots this season. Tired legs plus a shaky goalie is how 4-3 games turn into 5-4 games.
Caufield is the tasty one. He has 17 shots in his last 3 games, and Washington gives up more shots than either of these teams can afford.
Key Stats
- .857 save percentage for Dobes across 3 starts
- 4 of 6 Montreal games have gone over 6.5 goals
- 29.5 shots allowed per game by Washington, and 35 to Carolina on Tuesday
- 6, 6 and 5 shots on goal for Caufield in his last 3 games
Head to Head
Washington won 2 of 3 meetings last season, and 2 of the 3 went over 6.5. The Capitals won 8-4 in Montreal and 3-2 in overtime at home, and Montreal won 6-2. Wednesday is the first of three meetings this season.
Montreal Canadiens Form
Montreal is 3-2-1, scoring 3.17 goals per game and allowing 3.67. The Canadiens beat Buffalo 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday, outshooting the Sabres 38-17.
Caufield is averaging 4.0 shots per game and plays about 4 minutes a night on the power play. He's also on a heater, with 2 points Tuesday. Montreal has given up 5 or more goals three times already. The defense isn't keeping Wednesday's score down.
Washington Capitals Form
Washington is 3-3, scoring 3.17 goals per game and allowing 3.0. The Capitals have been outshot in 4 of 6 games, by 29.5 to 26.7 on average. That's a lot of rubber for Lindgren in his second start of the season.
Boone Jenner has goals in 3 straight games, and Ryan Leonard has a 4-game point streak. Alex Tuch and Pierre-Luc Dubois are day-to-day, and Rasmus Sandin and Matt Roy are out. That thins the blue line in front of a backup goalie.