Canadiens lineup tonight: Montreal’s projected lineup for Game 5 against the Washington Capitals | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1, April 30, 2025

Tonight, the Montreal Canadiens will look to stave off elimination while on the road in Washington. After narrowly coming up short in an overtime thriller during Game 1, the Habs dropped to 0-2 in the series before heading back to Montreal. While the team defended on home ice in Game 3, they came up short in Game 4, falling to 3-1 in this best-of-seven series.

Now, heading into what could be a closeout game against the Washington Capitals, the Habs' backs are against the wall as they look to stave off elimination and send the series back to Montreal for a Game 6 on Friday.

Montreal Canadiens projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change, * indicates player is questionable to play

Forwards

Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkovsky
Josh Anderson - Christian Dvorak - Brendan Gallagher
Alex Newhook - Jake Evans - Ivan Demidov
Emil Heineman - Oliver Kapanen - Joel Armia

Defense

Mike Matheson - Alexandre Carrier*
Kaiden Guhle - Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj - David Savard

Goalies

Jakub Dobes
Cayden Primeau

Powerplay

Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson
Brendan Gallagher, Nick Suzuki, Emil Heineman, Alex Newhook, Mike Matheson

Penalty Kill

Jake Evans, Joel Armia, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier&
Nick Suzuki, Josh Anderson, Kaiden Guhle, David Savard

Odds for tonight's game between the Canadiens and the Capitals

Between their 3-1 series lead and the fact that the team entered into the playoffs as one of the top teams in the NHL, bettors seem to be backing Washington to close things out tonight.

On FanDuel, Washington is a -182 favorite, while Montreal is +150 underdog. Meanwhile, over on DraftKings, Washington is a -180 favorite while Montreal is a +150 underdog.

Based on the latest DraftKings lines, it would take a $180 bet on Washington to win $100 on top of the original bet. On the other hand, a $100 bet on the Canadiens as the underdogs could pay out $150 in addition to the original bet if the Habs are able to get the win.

With their season on the line, the pressure will be on the Habs to get things done tonight on the road.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

Know More

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Krutik Jain