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

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.

The Washington Capitals have not won a playoff series since hoisting the Cup in 2018 and have not clinched one at home in a decade. They have a chance to end both streaks on Wednesday night against Montreal.