Game 55: Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Capitals region: Monumental Sports Network
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Eleven days after visiting the Washington Capitals to begin the post-All-Star portion of the season, the Montreal Canadiens will host the team at the Bell Centre. It’s the final of three games between the two clubs this season, with Montreal having won the two games played so far.
The Capitals weren’t enjoying much success as they entered that game on February 6, and they haven’t rebounded since. The 5-2 loss last Tuesday is one of four they’ve been handed in the past five games, and they could find themselves tied on 54 points with the Canadiens (though with two fewer games played) if the Habs can pull off the sweep.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Capitals |
|---|---|---|
| 22-24-8 | Record | 23-21-8 |
| 44.7% (29th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 47.0% (25th) |
| 2.78 (27th) | Goals per game | 2.38 (30th) |
| 3.52 (28th) | Goals against per game | 3.08 (17th) |
| 19.9% (18th) | PP% | 15.2% (25th) |
| 74.4% (29th) | PK% | 80.0% (16th) |
| 2-0-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 0-1-1 |
The only development for the Capitals over this stretch has been the return of Alexander Ovechkin’s goal-scoring touch. He scored his 10th goal of the season versus Montreal in the last meeting, and is now up to 14, netting a goal in six consecutive games. There may not be much more for the team to play for this season besides seeing Ovechkin creep closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, so expect to see plenty of attempts to set him up tonight.
Montreal has a couple of goal-per-game players since the league festivities in Toronto as well. Nick Suzuki didn’t score versus the New York Rangers on Thursday, but had six goals in the previous four games. Juraj Slafkovský did find the net in the game, and also added an assist to bring his total to nine points in five games since the break and 11 over a seven-game point streak. And Cole Caufield, who had his 11-game point streak ended a few days ago, has points in consecutive games as he ramps up for another run.
A more surprising name on the scorers list is Jake Evans, who has tallied in back-to-back games for the third time in his career. He’s never extended that to three, but he’s been playing well on a line with Tanner Pearson and Josh Anderson, registering a total of nine shots in the two games — one-sixth of his season total — so he’s one to watch to get on the scoreboard yet again.
Goal-scoring hasn’t really been a problem for the Habs recently. The bigger issue is that they’ve allowed seven in two of their last three games, and in a season that’s all about taking the next step toward contention, the defensive lapses are a concern. Jake Allen takes the blame for the majority of the goals allowed versus the St. Louis Blues last weekend, but it was an extended period of defensive miscues (and an ill-advised challenge) that did the Canadiens in on Thursday night in New York. They recovered to play decently well after that, but next year when the team is going to be in a fight to make the post-season, they won’t be able to make such costly errors. Tonight’s game is another chance for the team and its coaching staff to show they have the ability to generate the consistent effort a competitive team shows.
