The top-seeded Washington Capitals visit the Montreal Canadiens for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals tonight, Monday April 20, at the Bell Centre. This series is tied a one apiece and both games have gone into overtime. NHL oddsmakers at SBGGLOBAL.com have the Capitals as -180 moneyline road favorites over the Canadiens (+150) with the over/under set at 6 goals . Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: 2010 NHL Playoffs: Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Game 3 Odds & Prediction in now at SBGGLOBAL.com
The Capitals biggest problem right now is their goaltending. Jose Theodore was pulled just 7:58 into the game after he allowed the first two Montreal shots to go in. Semyon Varmalov relieved Theodore, and after the Capitals fell behind 4-1 in the second period, they rallied to tie the game before Nicklas Backstrom won it 31 seconds into overtime. Alex Ovechkin registered a goal and three assists the Caps avoided being swept at home to begin the playoffs for the second straight year. If their goalie struggles they’ll just have to bust out offensively. "The only way we were going to win tonight was to go all-offence," Boudreau said. "By no stretch did we probably deserve to win, but we got lucky and we did.' If the loss was a disappointment, the Canadiens tried to hide it. Washington's power play, the best in the NHL during the regular season, is 0-for-7 in the series. The Capitals rallied to win three times during the regular season when they were trailing by at least three goals and did so another five times when they were trailing by two goals. They were trailing 4-1 in the second period Saturday night.
The Canadiens will be hoping that their hometown fans can give them the extra spark they need. The Habs went 20-16-3-2 at home averaging 2.73 GAG. In Game 2 Michael Cammalleri collected three assists for the Canadiens, who had lost eight consecutive postseason games before Tomas Plekanec supplied the overtime winner on Thursday. Andrei Kostitsyn bagged his first playoff hatrick and Brian Gionta netted a goal. Goalie Jaroslav Halak gave up six goals on 37 shots Saturday night, and will still be between the pipes tonight. "I thought our goaltending was solid," Coach Jacques Martin insisted. Halak has to watch out for giving up rebounds, Ovechkin is on the prowl. The Habs' No. 1 line of Plekanec, Kostitsyn and Cammalleri has combined for 12 points in two games.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Over is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Capitals are 4-1 in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Capitals are 16-5 in their last 21 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
- Capitals are 6-2 in their last 8 road games.
- Capitals are 6-2 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
- Canadiens are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Canadiens are 5-2 in their last 7 games as a home underdog.
Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens
When: Monday April 20, 2010 7:00 PM ET
Line: SBGGLOBAL.com
Pick: Caps -180
Point-Spreads.com 2010 NHL Playoffs: Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Game 3 Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: The Caps don’t have hometown pressure on them. Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Game 3 Odds & Predictions in now at SBGGLOBAL.com and receive up to 260% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
