Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada

When: Monday, January 27th at 7:00 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): ESPN+. Montreal TV/Radio: TSN2, TSN 690. Washington TV/Radio: NBC Sports Washington, WJFK 106.7 FM.

Team Notes

Washington Capitals

Washington leads the East at the break with 71 points, one point more than second-place Boston.

The Capitals are 18-6-1 at home and finished the first half with a plus-33 goal differential.

The Capitals stand at +500 to take the Eastern Conference and +1000 to win the Stanley Cup.

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal has rebounded from an ugly eight-game losing streak to start the month by winning four of their five games.

The Canadiens are 10-12-4 at home this season and are sitting ten points out of a playoff spot to start the second half.

Montreal stands at +5000 to claim the Eastern Conference and +10000 to take the Stanley Cup.

Washington Capitals: Braden Holtby & Ilya Samsonov

Holtby gave up four goals over the first 40 minutes of his final start before the All-Star break, losing his spot on the ice to backup, Ilya Samsonov, who finished out the 6-4 Washington win.

• Holtby has surrendered 14 goals this month in four starts while posting an 85.7% save percentage.
• Samsonov won his last five starts of the season, plus held off the Islanders in relief for the final win of the first half for the Caps.
• Samsonov has been spectacular in January, allowing just six goals over his five appearances alongside a 95.5% save percentage.

Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price (20-16-4, 2.84 goals allowed)

Price started January with four straight losses, but ended with a four-start winning streak, allowing just six goals over the victorious span.

• The Montreal goalie has posted a 93.5% save percentage for the month of January, a season-high.
• At home, Price has posted a 9-10-2 record with an 89.5% save percentage.
• Price held the Caps to two goals in their first meeting this season, saving 26 of 28 shots in the win.

Stats to Watch

Washington Capitals

The Capitals’ attack has scored 31 goals in January, good for sixth-best in the NHL, despite playing just eight games for the month.

• Washington’s power-play efficiency in January is the 25th best in the league with a 16.1% success rate.
• The Capitals rank 2nd in the league in road scoring, averaging 3.64 goals per game away from home this season.
• Washington is 3.88 goals per game in January and allowing just 2.75, one of six teams in January with a goal differential over one goal per contest.

Montreal Canadiens

In January, Montreal has had trouble putting the puck in the net, scoring just 2.3 goals per game for the month, good for 26th in the NHL.

• Montreal’s offensive attack surprisingly produces 36.3 shots per home game, ranking them as the best in shots taken at home in the NHL. But, in contrast, they are only 26th in total goals scored at the Bell Centre.
• Montreal’s power play in January ranks last in the league, tied with five other teams that have scored just three goals with the man-advantage in the month.
• The Canadiens placed centers Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron on the Injured Reserve before the break.

Last Five Games

Washington Capitals

• Washington won six of their last eight matches heading into the All-Star break.
• The Capitals have won just two of their last five games on the road but did end their first half with a 6-4 win at the Islanders.
• Montreal defeated Washington on November 15th, by the score of 5-2 in regulation.

Montreal Canadiens

• After losing eight straight, the Canadiens have bounced back with four wins over their final five games before the break.
• The Canadiens outscored their opponents in those final five games by the count of 14-10.
• The Canadiens have won two of their last three at home, including their 5-4 shootout win over Vegas, their final game before the All-Star break.

The odds for Capitals vs Canadiens are provided by Unibet NJ, DraftKings Sportsbook, and 888Sport NJ.

Good luck!