Free NHL Picks Today: Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens 10/15/22

The Montreal Canadiens (1-1-0) head to face the Washington Capitals (0-2-0) at Capital One Arena on Saturday. The Capitals are -275 favorites, and the total is 6.5.Montreal is playing the second of a back-to-back after suffering a 3-0 loss against the Red Wings yesterday. Jake Allen had a terrific performance with 37 saves (.973%) in the loss. Washington fell 3-2 to the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Marcus Johansson and Nic Dowd each scored once for the Capitals. Charlie Lindgren saved 36 of 39 shots in the loss.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Capitals won all three games between the teams last season, including an 8-4 victory in their final meeting in April, their third straight win against Montreal. Anthony Mantha (2G 2A) and Dmitry Orlov (1G 3A) each had four points to lead Washington. Vitek Vanecek got the win despite saving only 28 of 32 shots (.875%).

FACING OFF

Montreal is averaging 2.00 goals per game so far this season, 22nd in the NHL, and they are taking on a Capitals team that is allowing 4.00 goals a game (23rd). Meanwhile, Washington has found the net 2.00 times a game on average, 22nd in the league, and the Canadiens are allowing opponents to score 3.00 goals per game (14th).Montreal averages fewer shots/game (26.0) than most teams in the league, ranking 28th. Washington’s average of 30.5 attempts ranks 16th.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With two points apiece early this season, Cole Caufield (2G 0A) and Nick Suzuki (0G 2A) are the top skaters for the Canadiens. In the net, Allen (1-1-0) is Montreal’s top goaltender. He has a 2.03 GAA and a .943% save percentage.Dowd (1G 1A) and Erik Gustafsson (0G 2A) lead the Capitals in scoring on the season with two points apiece. Lindgren (0-1-0) has the best goals against average for Washington at 3.16. He has a save percentage of .923%.

If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your hockey needs!

*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.