Tweaking the lines, going over formations, last-minute moves… when it comes to the NHL playoffs, all bets are off, and you do everything you can for even the tiniest of advantages. And the Washington Capitals, fresh off of a rather unconvincing end to their regular season, are not leaving anything to chance. With a leaky defense that has been shipping 2-3 goals nearly every game, the playoffs are not the time to leave anything to chance. Naturally, with the looming threat of Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov, the Capitals have turned to the AHL and to Ethan Bear.

Given that Martin Fehérváry, John Carlson, and Matt Roy were all absent from Washington’s season-ending game against the Penguins, it’s hardly surprising that Chris Patrick is covering all his bases. Especially since the Caps played with only five D-men against the Pens. Adding to that, Fehérváry missed today’s practice and looks doubtful for game 1. Skating with Dylan McIlrath during the practice session, these injury troubles might very well keep Bear in the starting lineup against Montreal.

Indeed, injuries are a concern for the Caps, with coach Spencer Carbery admitting as much in his post-practice interview. “I’ll just preface injuries with this: we’ve got guys working through some things. Some guys skating. Some not skating…I’m just going to leave it as, we’ve got a bunch of guys working through some things, progressing, potentially playing on Monday, potentially not,” said Carbery, as per Tarik EL-Bashir of the Athletic on X.

With Bear on the roster, the Caps can also hope to benefit from his presence in front of the net. He currently leads the Hershey Bears in points with 10 goals and 36 assists in 62 games this season. He’s been having a strong season with the Hershey Bears, even being named to the AHL’s Second All-Star Team on Thursday, and represented the Bears at February’s AHL All-Star Classic.

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens: which team will come out on top?

This will, in fact, only be the second meeting of the Capitals and Canadiens in the playoffs. The only other time the two sides played against each other in the postseason was the first round in 2010, when the Habs beat the Capitals in 7 games. Interestingly enough, the Capitals were the top seed at the time, while the Habs were the eighth seed. Sound familiar?

But this time, even with injuries and the many goals they’ve let in, the Capitals look too well-oiled a machine. There’s the Alex Ovechkin factor, of course, but this isn’t a one-man team by any means—the Caps did end the season as the second-highest-scoring team in the NHL, with goals coming from Tom Wilson (having a career year with 33 goals), Aliaksei Protas (also having a career year with 30 goals), and Dylan Strome (ahem, another career year with 29 goals).

That said, this Washington team doesn’t look infallible. In the games since Ovechkin’s historic goal, they’ve looked vulnerable, suffering some big losses against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets. Perhaps a case of end-of-season-itis? Or, more appropriately, Gr8 Chase-itis? Either way, their recent form coupled with the injury concerns leaves the door cracked open for Montreal. Not a very wide crack, but a crack nonetheless.

Because despite the consistency and experience of this Capitals team, the late-season momentum is firmly on the side of Montreal. With an average age of 25.95 years, they’re the youngest team to ever make the playoffs. At the start of the season, heck, even midway through the season, no one expected them to be playing meaningful hockey by March, much less actually make the playoffs. But despite the odds, the team has come together with Nick Suzuki’s 59 points, Lane Hutson’s Calder-worthy performances, and Ivan Demidov’s explosive debut.

So maybe it is the devil-may-care attitude of youth that takes the Canadiens over the line. After all, one thing’s for certain, and it’s that the Habs are by no means intimidated by the occasion. “Doesn’t matter. Couldn’t care less,” said Patrik Laine when asked about how special it would be to play against Ovechkin. It’s David vs. Goliath, but this time will Goliath triumph? Or will the Montreal Canadiens channel the spirit of 2010 and shock the Washington Capitals once more?