Game 7 -Canadiens vs. Capitals: Battle Of The Hutsons

Fresh off their 4-3 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres, the Montreal Canadiens will try to win a third straight game as they take on the Washington Capitals in the USA’s capital. The game will be special for Lane Hutson, as he’ll face his brother, Cole Hutson, for the first time in the NHL. The Caps rookie has three points in six games playing in the Metropolitan Division, while the Habs star blueliner has six points in as many games.

This will be the first of three duels between the two sides this season. Last year, the Capitals had the upper hand, winning two of the three matches. They won 8-4 in November and 3-2 in January, while the Canadiens won the last duel 6-2 at the end of February. The Caps had a slight edge in combined scoring, 13-12. Each team has won five of the last 10 games.

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It’s unclear whether Mike Matheson made the trip; the Canadiens' communications staff said Martin St-Louis would address the question at his media availability around noon on Wednesday. Given what we’ve heard about Matheson’s likely lengthy absence, it would be surprising if he made the trip.

After making way for Jacob Fowler in the last three games, Jakub Dobes will return to the net tonight for the first time since his 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The netminder looked lost at times; his positioning was off, and he flailed around in his crease as he did early in his career. Hopefully, his work with Marco Marciano over the last week has paid off. The Czech netminder has a 2-1-0 record against the Caps with a 3.06 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage. The team has already confirmed he’ll be in net against the Caps. Fowler has never taken on the hosts in his young career.

For the Caps, Logan Thompson was in net against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, making it likely Charlie Lindgren will be between the posts, though it hasn't been confirmed. Thompson is 2-0-1 against the Habs with a 2.58 GAA and a .900 SV. As for Lindgren, he’s 4-2 against his former organization with a 3.05 GAA and a .879 SV.

Up front, captain Nick Suzuki has a knack for scoring against the Caps; he’s got 23 points in just 18 games, including a goal and an assist in the last duel. Veteran Chris Kreider takes second place with 22 points in 47 games against his former divisional rivals. Sniper Cole Caufield wraps up the top three with 16 points in 14 games. As for blueliner Hutson, he has five points in as many games against the Caps.

As for the Capitals, Alexander Ovechkin, who’s skating in his last NHL season, has 76 points in just 63 games. Pierre-Luc Dubois has 23 points in 28 games, but his presence tonight is questionable; he’s been sick and missed the Caps’ last two games. Newcomer Alex Tuch takes third place with seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 22games against Montreal. Tom Wilson fails to make the cut with 19 points in 30 games, but he always has an impact in those games. However, the Habs should keep an eye on Ryan Leonard, who has five points in his last four games, and Boone Jenner, who has three goals in his last three games.

The game is scheduled for 7:30 PM, and you can catch it on Prime. Jon McIsaac and Carter Sandlak will referee, while Dan Kelly and Brandon Grillo will serve as linesmen. On Wednesday morning the Habs called up David Reinbacher but it remains to be seen if he’ll get in the lineup or is just an insurance policy.

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