Montreal @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2019 ) Montreal 1, Washington 2

The Montreal Canadiens are on a roll and making a run at first place in the Atlantic Division, but they pale in comparison to the red-hot Washington Capitals. Owners of the best record in hockey, the Capitals have not lost in regulation in more than a month and will take a 13-game point streak (11-0-2) into Friday night's matchup against the visiting Canadiens.

Washington kept its streak intact with a 2-1 shootout victory in Philadelphia to improve to 9-1-1 on the road and edge closer to the franchise-record 15-game point string established in 2010. "It's finding ways to win and gather points," coach Todd Reirden said. "Believe in what we're doing. Believe in our system and believe in the guy next to us. Who's going to be the guy that puts us over the hump tonight?" Montreal also is coming off a shootout victory, edging Columbus 3-2 to move to 6-1-1 in its last eight contests and pull within three points of first-place Boston in the Atlantic. "What I'm looking for in our team, and what we're doing right now as a whole, is to be consistent in our effort," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin told reporters. "We have to stay healthy, which helps a lot, and stay consistent in our effort and our approach night after night."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (10-5-3): With Alex Ovechkin and Co. on deck, Montreal coach Claude Julien is mulling a strength-versus-strength approach by pairing 6-foot-4, 230-pound captain Shea Weber and 6-3, 225-pound Ben Chiarot on the blue line to match up against Washington's top line. "Ovechkin is big and strong. He's one of their best forwards," Julien said. "We want to try the same thing on our end. We'll put big and strong players up against him to try and slow him down." Weber had collected three goals and a pair of assists during a four-game point streak.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (14-2-4): Goaltender Braden Holtby turned aside 30 of 31 shots against Philadelphia to win his fifth consecutive start and improve to 8-0-1 over his last nine outings. “Every time your goalie only lets in one, you should get at least a point out of that," forward Lars Eller said of Holtby, who is 13-2-2 with a 1.67 goals-against average versus Montreal. "Gives us a very good chance to win and that is all we can ask.” Defenseman John Carlson continued his torrid start with a goal and six assists over a four-game point streak to reach 30 points.

OVERTIME

1. Ovechkin has eight goals in six games against the Canadiens the past two seasons, bumping his career total against them to 31 and 53 points in 48 games.

2. Canadiens G Carey Price takes a 7-14-5 mark and 3.34 goals-against average versus Washington into Friday's start.

3. Capitals F Evgeny Kuznetsov has nine points in his last five games and scored in the shootout Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Canadiens 2