NHL: St Louis Blues, Washington Capitals and Los Angeles Kings all in action

We are gearing up for another bumper round of fixtures and there are some fascinating matches to look forward to, including the Boston Bruins v the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings v the St Louis Blues.

Dominique Ducharme gets off the mark for Montreal Canadiens

Sometimes new coaches can have an immediate impact. After an inauspicious start, Dominique Ducharme claimed his first NHL victory in his third game in charge of the Canadiens with a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators earlier this week. More significantly, it ended a five-game losing streak for the Canadiens, and it takes their record to 10-6-5 for the campaign.

The victory over the Senators could well rejuvenate the Canadiens and give them some much-needed momentum. It was a significant night for Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, who was kept very busy as he made 26 saves. Brendan Gallagher and Jeff Petry were both on target, while Tyler Toffoli also scored with 21 seconds left in the third period to secure the win.

• Montreal Canadiens to beat Winnipeg Jets in regular time @+100 with Casumo
• Winnipeg Jets to beat Montreal Canadiens in regular time @+220 with Casumo

Winnipeg Jets looking to keep pace with Toronto Maple Leafs

The Jets responded to their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday by beating the same opponents 5-2 a day later to move back into the win column. Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor impressed for the Jets as they both scored and laid on two assists, and the Canadiens will represent a stiff test for the Jets.

Los Angeles Kings have to forget about Alex Iafallo trade rumours

Sitting fifth in the Honda West standings with a 20-9-7 record, things haven’t quite gone according to plan for the Los Angeles Kings. To add to that, the rumours surrounding Alex Iafallo and his future at the franchise have grown louder. There have been suggestions that the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the lookout for a winger, and Iafallo could fit the bill.

More expected from Stanley Cup contenders St Louis Blues

The Blues are second in the Honda West, but their win percentage stands at just over 50, which is hardly what you would expect from a team harbouring ambitions of winning the Stanley Cup. A lot of ice hockey has to be played before then, but they will fancy their chances against the Kings on Friday night.

David Krejci in line to return for Boston Bruins against Washington Capitals

David Krejci has resumed practice for the Bruins, and he could be ready to face the Washington Capitals. Bruins travel to Washington first before the second leg is at home on Friday evening. Krejci has been a big loss for the Bruins, and he has been sidelined for the past four games with a lower-body injury.

However, the injuries have come thick and fast for the Bruins. Matt Grzelcyk, Jeremy Lauzon, Kevan Miller and Ondrej Kase have all been out of action at the same time. The Bruins haven’t had the best of luck on the injury front, but they will be hoping to have a full-strength team again soon.

The Capitals, in stark contrast, are hitting their stride at just the right time. They have notched up three victories on the trot and at the time of writing, they are top of the MassMutual East division. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek can take credit for the Capitals’ fine form, as he has started over 80% of his side’s 21 games this term.

Capitals have regrouped after a tough February

February was a month for the Capitals to forget, as they endured a four-game losing run and were outscored 22-12. But they have regrouped well, and they have made themselves much tougher to break down. As mentioned, Vanecek has been a great stand-in for Ilya Samsonov, who missed a chunk of games due to COVID-19 protocol.

As far as the head-to-head record goes, there is little separating the Capitals and the Bruins. They have split their two meetings this term. The Bruins claimed a 4-3 victory in overtime at the end of January before the Capitals exacted revenge a few days later with a 5-3 triumph.

 

Odds subject to change