Canadiens @ Capitals: Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch

Montreal Canadiens @ Washington Capitals

How to watch

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2, TSN Direct (English), RDS, RDS Direct (French)
In the US: NBCSN
In the Capitals region: NBC Sports Washington
Streaming: NHL.tv/NHL Live

The night will be all about Alex Ovechkin at Capital One Arena. On the national stage in the US and a home broadcast besides, all the attention is on the NHL’s best goal-scorer of this generation as he looks to hit the 700-goals milestone that only seven other players have ever reached.

Montreal would like that spoil that party, but that will take a more solid defensive effort than they’ve shown over the past week. They’ve given up four goals in each of the past three games, blowing multi-goal leads in the last two. Whatever the reason, they simply haven’t been able to carry the strong play that gets them on the board early all the way to the finish line.

To avoid a sixth consecutive loss, they either have to shut down the opposition or explode offensively themselves. With Ovechkin getting antsy while mired in a five-game goalless drought, they may need to look behind door number two to pull this one off this evening.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Washington Capitals projected lineup