Habs descend on Washington for Game 1
WASHINGTON – The Canadiens’ pursuit of a 25th Stanley Cup begins Monday with Game 1 of their first-round matchup against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.
Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:
GAME FACTS
WHEN
Monday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. ET
WHERE
Capital One Arena – Washington, D.C.
TV & STREAMING
Sportsnet, TVA Sports
RADIO
TSN 690, 98.5 FM
PLAYOFF HUB
Canadiens’ 2025 Playoff Central
STATISTICS
Capitals Player Statistics
Canadiens Player Statistics
NHL Gamecenter Preview
NHL Standings
GAME 1: WHERE TO WATCH
Looking for the best spots in town to watch Game 1 with your friends and fellow Habs fans? Come feel the playoff energy at one of two watch parties in Montreal:
For more details on where to watch Habs games through the playoffs, visit the canadiens.com Playoff Central page or click here.
TEAM COMPARISONS
On December 1, the Montreal Canadiens were second-to-last in the entire National Hockey League. Today, they are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
After successfully navigating their way through a season filled with highs, lows and everything in between, the Canadiens are back in the dance for the first time since 2021. While the playoffs only officially begin on Monday, Montreal has already been living in playoff mode for months. A 15-5-6 record since the 4 Nations Face-Off, including a 10-0-2 run at home, catapulted them to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, with time to decompress and recharge following a raucous Game 82, the Habs are ready to embark on what they hope is a deep postseason run, starting Monday in the American capital.
The Capitals, meanwhile, aren’t entering the postseason particularly hot, but that’s mostly to be expected for a team that had little to play for down the stretch. After becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot on March 20, the spotlight inevitably shifted to Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit for the NHL all-time goals record. Once that was reached, the mission became even more simple: make it to the postseason healthy.
There’s a reason for that luxury: they were the best team in the Eastern Conference this season. With a deep forward group, a seasoned defensive core and steady goaltending, Washington is always a tough out, especially on home ice where they posted a 26-9-6 record in the regular season this year.
While some may forecast the Round 1 matchup as a tall order for the Canadiens, their season has proven they’re ready for the battle ahead.
2024-25 REGULAR SEASON SERIES
Oct. 31 @ WSH: 6-3 WSH
Dec. 7 @ MTL: 4-2 WSH
Jan. 10 @ WSH: 3-2 MTL (OT)
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
Cole Caufield was electric in his playoff debut in 2021 with 12 points in 20 games fresh off the college circuit. In the playoffs, big-time players are expected to rise in big-time moments—and that’s exactly what Habs fans are hoping to see from Caufield on Monday.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Ovechkin’s goalscoring pedigree has transitioned smoothly to the postseason over his career. The future Hall-of-Famer has tallied 72 goals in 151 playoff games—a number Montreal will look to neutralize in 2025.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-CAPS
Here’s how the Canadiens and Capitals matched up by the numbers in the regular season:
Canadiens
📈
Capitals
40-31-11
RECORD
51-22-9
20.1%
POWER PLAY
23.5%
80.9%
PENALTY KILL
82%
2.96
GOALS FOR/GAME
3.49
3.18
GOALS AGAINST/GAME
2.79
Caufield (37)
GOALS
Ovechkin (44)
Hutson (60)
ASSISTS
Strome (53)
Suzuki (89)
POINTS
Strome (82)
Suzuki (+19)
+/- DIFFERENTIAL
Protas (+40)
Slafkovsky (194)
HITS
Wilson (233)
LINEUP NEWS
The Canadiens are not scheduled for a morning skate on Monday. Martin St-Louis and select players will, however, be made available to the media at the hotel pregame. For the full lineup, check back on the team’s social accounts closer to puck drop.
