Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Montreal Canadiens return to home ice trailing 0:2 in their series against the Washington Capitals. Theoretically, playing at home should offer an advantage — the Canadiens have won 10 of their last 12 games at the Bell Centre.
Montreal Canadiens
In practice, though, the Canadiens came close to forcing overtime in both of the opening two games. In the third period of Game 2, they posed serious problems for the Washington Capitals, outshooting them 14-5 (with another 12 attempts blocked) and generating at least a couple of high-quality scoring opportunities — including one by Jake Evans that missed an open net. Across the two games, the team posted 5.65 xG but only found the net three times. This came despite their top line — Nicholas Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky — contributing just two points combined. There is clearly strong attacking potential throughout the lineup.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals are leaning on their experience, physical presence, and a gritty playoff-style approach to gain the upper hand. However, that hasn’t made them immune to pressure — in both games, the opposition grew stronger as the match progressed, forcing the Capitals to rely heavily on goaltending by Logan Thompson. The ongoing absence of two key contributors remains a factor: Aliaksei Protas (plus-minus +40) is still doubtful, while stay-at-home defenceman Martin Fehérváry (plus-minus +18) has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals Prediction
Since the Four Nations Tournament break, the Montreal Canadiens have averaged 3.75 goals per game on home ice, scoring on 15.8% of their shots — the third-highest conversion rate in the league. Their offensive structure continues to generate scoring chances, even under pressure, and their deep pool of talented forwards has the quality to capitalise. In Game 3, the Montreal Canadiens are expected to finally break through — they should score at least three goals.
