Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens, Picks and Prediction, Thursday, November 20, 2025
The Washington Capitals face the Montreal Canadiens with both teams looking to improve in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are 10-8-2 and have the worst record in the Metropolitan Division while the Canadiens are 10-6-3 and look to rebound from four losses in a row. Who will win this matchup? Check out our Capitals vs Canadiens prediction!
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Capitals look to improve on offense
The Capitals are having a rough season with their offense letting them down and scoring only 2.79 goals per game. However, those numbers are before last night's game against Edmonton and their offense finally exploded in a 7-4 win, though two goals were empty-netters at the end of the game. Ryan Leonard and Tom Wilson, who had the last two empty net goals, led the way.
Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, and Alexander Ovechkin have combined for 23 goals and 30 assists to lead the top two lines but the rest of the offense has struggled. Only four skaters have five goals or more, and opponents can limit the top-heavy offense as a result.
The offense has struggled but the defense has stepped up, allowing only 2.47 goals per game. Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy have combined for 3.3 defensive point shares while John Carlson, Rasmus Sandin, and Martin Fehervary have combined for 3.1 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit. With the Capitals playing the second game of a back-to-back, the hope is that backup goaltender Charlie Lindgren can step up as he has a .893 save percentage and a 3.16 goals-against average on 178 shots.
Key injury report for Capitals
- No key injuries to report
Montreal hopes offense snaps them out of slump
The Canadiens are having a great season with their offense leading the way, scoring 3.32 goals per game. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have scored 17 goals and 24 assists to lead the top line but the rest of the offense has also stepped up. Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Oliver Kapanen have combined for 17 goals and 17 assists while defensemen Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson have added three goals and 25 assists from the point to open up the offense.
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The offense has stepped up but the defense has struggled, allowing 3.37 goals per game including 19 goals in their last four games. Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson have combined for 2.9 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. In addition, goaltender Samuel Mountembeault has struggled with a .858 save percentage and a 3.56 goals-against average on 260 shots with -10.1 goals saved above average.
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| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +1,071.00 |
Key injury report for Canadiens
- Kirby Dach (foot) is expected to miss four to six weeks. Has five goals and two assists.
- Kaiden Guhle (lower body) is out eight to ten weeks. Has one goal, one assist, and is a middle pair defenseman.
- Alex Newhook (ankle) was placed in injured reserve. Has six goals and six assists.
Capitals vs Canadiens Pick
Money Line Pick For Capitals vs Canadiens
- Canadiens (-130) (4 units)
The Canadiens have struggled but I see them bouncing back on their home ice and taking over this game against a Capitals team playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Canadiens should create plenty of scoring chances with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone while creating open shots with quick passes. The Canadiens should limit a Capitals offense that averages only 2.79 goals per game with Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone while limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Samuel Mountembeault to make plenty of big saves. The Canadiens should win the game with a strong performance on their home ice.
Take the Canadiens money line as home Favorites.
Over/Under Pick For Capitals vs Canadiens
- Over 6.5 (5 Units)
The Canadiens are led by their offense, and I see this game being a high-scoring one from the opening puck drop. The Capitals should create plenty of scoring chances against a Canadiens defense that allows 3.37 goals per game, with Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone while creating open shots with quick passes. The Canadiens, who average 3.32 goals per game, should run up the score with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and the rest of the forward unit overwhelming the Capitals defense with speed in all three zones while creating open shots with quick passes as Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson pick apart the Capitals defense from the point. The Over should cover in a high-scoring game with both offenses stepping up.
Take the Over on 6.5 goals.
The Capitals head to Montreal to face the Canadiens with both teams looking to improve in the Eastern Conference.
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