St. Louis won the Stanley Cup in 2004 as a Hall of Fame-bound forward with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has fond memories of his boyhood, watching the Canadiens bring the city to life in the playoffs. It was the only time he was allowed to stay up past his usual bedtime to watch televised games.

The Montreal Canadiens face the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday, April 21, 2025.

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.