Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens: Game preview, lines, odds predictions and more

The Washington Capitals are gearing up to take on the Montreal Canadiens in an exciting matchup at the Bell Centre on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 7 p.m. ET. Hockey enthusiasts eagerly anticipate this game, which will be available for viewing on ESPN+ and Monumental Sports Network.

Washington Capitals preview

The Washington Capitals are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 6-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators in their previous game on the road. After a rocky start to the season with a 1-2-0 record, they are tied for seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, trailing the Flyers and Hurricanes by four points.

The Capitals have struggled offensively, ranking 32nd in the league with an average of one goal per game. Their defense hasn't fared much better, allowing an average of four goals per contest. They are tied for 30th in power play success (0%) and 25th in penalty killing (69.2%).

Montreal Canadiens preview

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off a 5-2 defeat at home against the Minnesota Wild. With a 1-1-1 record, they are in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, trailing the top spot held by Boston, Ottawa and Detroit by three points. Offensively, the Canadiens have shown more promise, ranking tied for 12th in the league with 3.33 goals per game.

However, they also have defensive struggles, allowing an average of four goals per contest, placing them 25th in goals against. Their power play has been relatively lackluster, with a 9.1% success rate, while their penalty-killing efficiency ranks 20th at 73.7%.

Washington Capitals projected lines

Forward

ALEX OVECHKIN	DYLAN STROME	MATTHEW PHILLIPS
CONNOR MCMICHAEL	EVGENY KUZNETSOV	T.J. OSHIE
SONNY MILANO	NICKLAS BACKSTROM	TOM WILSON
BECK MALENSTYN	ALIAKSEI PROTAS	ANTHONY MANTHA

Defenceman

RASMUS SANDIN	JOHN CARLSON
MARTIN FEHERVARY	TREVOR VAN RIEMSDYK
HARDY HAMAN AKTELL	TREVOR VAN RIEMSDYK

Goalies

DARCY KUEMPER

CHARLIE LINDGREN

Montreal Canadiens projected lines

Forward

COLE CAUFIELD	NICK SUZUKI	RAFAEL HARVEY-PINARD
TANNER PEARSON	ALEX NEWHOOK	JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY
JOSH ANDERSON	SEAN MONAHAN	BRENDAN GALLAGHER
JESSE YLONEN	JAKE EVANS	MICHAEL PEZZETTA

Defenceman

MICHAEL MATHESON	DAVID SAVARD
JUSTIN BARRON	JOHNATHAN KOVACEVIC
ARBER XHEKAJ	JORDAN HARRIS

Goalies

SAMUEL MONTEMBEAULT

JAKE ALLEN

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens: Odds and predictions

The Washington Capitals enter this game as favorites with odds of -127, while the Montreal Canadiens are the underdogs with odds of +106. The over/under for this matchup is set at 6.5.

In the previous NHL season, the Capitals ranked 20th in the league with 253 goals scored. They also conceded 261 total goals, ranking 18th in the league. On the other hand, the Canadiens had the 26th-ranked offense with 227 goals and allowed 305 total goals, ranking 29th in the league.

The Capitals are the expected winners in this matchup. Will they rebound from their recent loss and secure a victory against the Montreal Canadiens? Hockey fans will be on the edge of their seats to find out.

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