WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 23: Alex Newhook #15 of the Montreal Canadiens looks to shoot the puck as Rasmus Sandin #38 and Matt Roy #3 of the Washington Capitals defend during the third period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Washington Capitals look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens.
The Capitals are playing well on both sides of the puck, and their defense is trending upward. In Game 1, Washington blew a two-goal lead in the third period but still had enough puck luck to win in overtime. In Game 2, the Capitals once again held a lead heading into the third period; this time, they added an insurance goal and held on for a solid win. Goaltender Logan Thompson has been named one of the three stars in both victories.
The Canadiens have held a lead for only a few minutes in this series. As the second wild card team in the Eastern Conference, Montreal has shown plenty of fight in the first two games against the top-seeded Capitals. They nearly stole Game 1 and just need to break the three-goal barrier and generate some early offense.
Spread
- Capitals -1.5 (+215)
- Canadiens +1.5 (-245)
Moneyline
- Capitals -113
- Canadiens +100
Total
- OVER 5.5 (-120)
- UNDER 6 (-122)
*The above data was collected on April 25, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Capitals vs Canadiens Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in four of Washington's last five games.
- Washington is 5-1 SU in its last six games against Montreal.
- Washington is 1-4 SU in its last five games on the road.
- The total has gone UNDER in eight of Montreal's last 11 games.
- Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last six games.
- Montreal is 5-1 SU in its last six games at home.
Capitals vs Canadiens Injury Reports
Washington Capitals
- Aliaksei Protas, C - Day-to-day.
- Martin Fehervary, D - Out.
Montreal Canadiens
- Rafael Harvey-Pinard, LW - Out.
Capitals vs Canadiens Predictions and Picks
The Capitals face off against the Canadiens in Game 3 of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. Washington boasts the second-best offense in the league, ranks fifth in penalty kill, and eighth in goals against. Alexander Ovechkin leads the team with 44 goals and scored twice in Game 1.
Dylan Strome, who leads the Capitals in both assists and points, netted the game-winning goal in Game 2. So far in this series, Washington's stars are stepping up, and in a league where it often comes down to the race to three goals, they're finding ways to get it done. The defense is limiting quality chances, and goaltender Logan Thompson is making timely saves.
The Canadiens now look to gain momentum as the series shifts to their home ice. In Game 2, Montreal was outshot 32–26 and outhit 37–28. Their power play went 0-for-2, while the penalty kill was 1-for-1. Goaltender Sam Montembeault kept the game close with 29 saves.
Offensively, the Canadiens rank in the middle of the league, but they sit in the lower tier for power play and goals against. Their top players were shut down in Game 2, with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki finishing at -2.
Best Bet: Under
So far in this series, the main theme has been goaltending. In Game 2, both goalies were named the first and second stars. Montreal's goaltending has done a great job stepping up and slowing down the league's second-ranked offense, but their already average scoring is trending downward. The Canadiens will look to match the production of the Capitals' stars and generate some puck luck of their own.
