Canadiens vs Capitals Picks – Capitals Will Bounce Habs Quickly
All eyes are on the Washington Capitals in the playoffs as many online betting cappers want to see how the Presidents’ Trophy winners do. They are the biggest favorite in round one at -650 and while most people are skeptical of this team winning the Stanley Cup, few are expecting them to stumble against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Story
The Capitals are one of the highest scoring teams in recent memory and many pundits say their offensive prowess rivals the Edmonton Oilers with Wayne Gretzky. And while they have had a phenomenal season, the one thought that resonates through everyone’s mind is how tough is this team? In the playoffs, sportsbook odds makers know that there needs to be an additional level of defensive toughness, but few people are sure if this Caps team has it.
They won’t stumble in round one, though, as the Canadiens also lack this toughness even more than them.
Who Has The Edge On Offense: Canadiens Or Capitals?
There is no question that the Capitals hold the edge. Not only do they have the best offensive player on in Alexander Ovechkin, who again finished with 50 goals, they have far better depth.
The Canadiens leading scorer, Brian Gionta, had only 28 goals and while the Canadiens leading point man, Tomas Plekanec, had 70 points, the Caps had four players above that total.
This is no contest as the Caps can roll several scoring lines while the Canadiens are several bricks short of a load in the scoring department.
Edge: CapitalsWho Has The Edge On Defense/Goaltending: Canadiens Or Capitals?
NHL betting fans know that the Canadiens have the short end of the stick here too.
The Habs will be going up against their former netminder in Jose Theodore, and he’ll surely hear some boos in Montreal, but the Canadiens aren’t far better off with Jaroslav Halak in net.
Both teams have suspect blue lines and on the whole, there is no one shutdown defenseman on either side.
That figures to be a far bigger problem for the Canadiens than the Capitals, though, given the firepower.
Edge: CapitalsWho Has The Edge In Experience?
Both teams have been regulars in the playoffs over the last few years but you have to give the edge here to the Capitals.
The Canadiens barely squeaked into the playoffs and their goals are not too lofty. Meanwhile, the Capitals came so close to knocking off the eventual Stanley Cup Champions that they feel that they can win it all this year. Also, the failure from last year is fueling them to succeed where they faltered and of all the teams in the playoffs, this team has its eye on the prize. Edge: Capitals
Who Will Win The Canadiens vs Capitals Series?
The Capitals soft defense is going to get tested but not by the Canadiens. Of all the teams in the playoffs, the Canadiens may be the softest, which sets up and absolutely horrendous matchup for them against the Capitals.
They can’t match the Caps scoring goal-for-goal and they don’t have the defense to slow them down. Sure, they won the regular season series but the playoffs will be a far different story as the Canadiens will be lucky to win even one game in this series.
