2010 Stanley Cup Playoff Picks – Canadiens vs Capitals

NHL Playoff Betting: Canadiens vs Capitals Series Preview & Pick

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• GAME 1: @Washington, Thu. 4/15, 7 p.m.
• GAME 2: @Washington, Sat. 4/17, 7 p.m.
• GAME 3: @Montreal, Mon. 4/19, 7 p.m.
• GAME 4: @Montreal, Wed. 4/21, 7 p.m.
• GAME 5*: @Washington, Fri. 4/23, 7 p.m.
• GAME 6*: @Montreal, Mon. 4/26, 7 p.m.
• GAME 7*: @Washington, Wed. 4/28, TBD

Canadiens vs Capitals Odds To Win 7 Game Series:

Habs +450, Capitals -600

The Washington Capitals were known as a true powerhouse this season but I’m not sure fans and bettors alike realized just how dominant they were. They finished 18 points ahead of the next closest team in the Eastern Conference. Sure, they played plenty of games in the weak Southeast division, but it’s safe to say the Caps still enter the 2010 playoffs as the No. 1 Stanley Cup frontrunner. Is there any chance they’ll get caught looking past Montreal?

(8) MONTREAL CANADIENS vs (1) WASHINGTON CAPITALS

The scariest thing about Washington over the last two seasons is that it’s proven to be far more than a one man team. Sure, Alex Ovechkin is the best pure goal scorer on the planet, but he has a tremendous supporting cast. His centerman, Nicklas Backstrom, topped 30 goals and 100 points; defenseman Mike Green scored at better than a point-per-game clip for a second straight season; Alexander Semin potted 40 goals; overall, seven different Washington players scored 20 or more times.

The Caps fill the net better than any team in recent memory and they’re poised to assault the Habs. Andrei Markov is a stud on Montreal’s blueline but the rest of the group, featuring Paul Mara, Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek, is slow as can be. Their experience is a plus but I’m not sure they can keep pace with Washington’s relentless attack.

It appears Jaroslav Halak will get the starter’s role in goal for Montreal in this series. He certainly earned the job this year, posting a .924 save percentage and five shutouts, but he seemed to tire a bit down the stretch, perhaps because he’d never faced a workload so big. He allowed three or more goals in each of his final three starts.

If Halak doesn’t bring his “A” game, Washington could sweep Montreal.

That said, the Habs may score more than expected in this series. Washington’s pedestrian 2.72 team goals against average placed it in the middle of the pack in the NHL this season. Though Montreal struggled to score for most of the year, it has a lot of speed up front with Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and so on. The Caps blueline is beatable. Mike Green and Joe Corvo both play more like forwards than defenseman. Also, Washington’s goaltending is a question mark. Last year, Jose Theodore gave way to Simeon Varlamov in the playoffs.

Any chance that happens again?

Even if Montreal does find a way to score, however, it will likely lose plenty of 5-3 or 6-4 games in this series. It simply can’t hold a candle to Washington’s firepower. I see the Habs stealing one game at the Bell Center, one of hockey’s best places to play, but that’s it.

Prediction: Capitals in five.

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