- The Capitals have a good puck moving team. They make hard passes look easy and they get a lot of good scoring chances. The Canadiens defense will be challenged. The Capitals average 27.62 shots per game. The Canadiens average 25.57. They have to make them count.
- Who has the better team save percentage? The Capitals are .890 and the Canadiens are .890. The Capitals get the edge in net unless its Charlie Lindgren and that will be something that gets figured out next week.
- This year is a different year for Alex Ovechkin. Last year he had no points and just five shots on goal in four games. That’s it. The version that we see now will shoot the puck five times per game and has to be game-planned against. That will be a challenge for the Canadiens.
- Nick Suzuki could be the best player in this series. I’ve seen his progression since junior hockey and I love what I see. He was on my awards ballot more than once. He was on the ice for 80 even strength goals this season.
- The Capitals are a better road team this season. Montreal has to win some games in Washington. They need at least a split to start. If they don’t do this it could be a tough series for them. Let’s see how the Canadiens look in Game 1. They can’t afford to be tentative.