SportsLine's hockey model simulated Montreal vs. Washington in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round 10,000 times

The Montreal Canadiens visit the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the first-round, best-of-7 series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Wednesday.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.