Two Top Eastern Teams Square Off In Montreal

Washington Capitals @ Montreal Canadiens – Tuesday April 9, 2013 7:30PM EST

The Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens would both like to pad their respective division leads as the playoffs get closer. The betting sites have been following the battle for the Southeast Division lead all season long. The Washington Capitals had struggled all season, but a recent winning streak has put the Caps into the Southeast driving seat. If any team from the Southeast Division wants to make the playoffs, it will need to win the division. The Washington Capitals intend to keep hold of their lead until the season ends.

The Montreal Canadiens have opened up a bit of a cushion between themselves and the Boston Bruins in the Northeast Division and now the Canadiens find themselves within striking distance of the Eastern Conference lead. The online betting experts know how important a top conference spot is in a playoff run, especially in a shortened season. The Canadiens would have home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, which would be more convenient that critical to Montreal. The Canadiens have a great home and road record, but hosting playoff games is always a little easier than having to travel to another team’s building.

Why the Capitals Will Win

The Washington Capitals are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and their current streak will be put to the ultimate test against the Montreal Canadiens. The sportsbook experts see Washington’s current four-game winning streak as being good momentum heading into this game against Montreal. The Caps are getting some good goaltending and Alex Ovechkin has finally come to life with goal production. The team is hitting on all cylinders and playing about as well as it possibly can play. This will be a good test to see if Washington can continue its streak heading into the playoffs.

Why the Canadiens Will Win

The Montreal Canadiens have gone from one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference to one of the best in only one season. Obviously, some serious changes had to happen for the Canadiens to make that kind of improvement and the biggest change was that the defense got stronger and faster. Goaltender Carey Price has also been able to sustain his high level of play for the entire season, which has gone a long way towards making sure that the Canadiens were able to stay out in front of the Boston Bruins all season long.

The Bottom Line

The Canadiens know that this will not be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. The Capitals are playing like a much different team than they were just a month ago. Montreal would like that top spot in the conference and the Caps would like to stay on top of the Southeast Division and in the playoff hunt. But it will be the Canadiens who will skate away with the win in this very important game.

Pick: Montreal Canadiens