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Colorado has shown why it entered the season as the clear Stanley Cup front-runner. The Avalanche will continue their pursuit of a second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy on Monday, as they host the Capitals. 

Washington has been on a better run of late, winning five of its last six. The Caps now have a realistic hope of chasing down Pittsburgh for third in the Metro Division, which will help them avoid the Panthers in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Offensively, the Capitals are very capable, but their defensive play is far from dominant, and they have some average netminding. It’s very hard for me to imagine the Capitals’ defense keeping this incredibly deep and talented Avalanche group in check. 

We saw Colorado toy with a Carolina team that traditionally allows next to nothing. The Avs dropped a seven-spot on Saturday vs. the Hurricanes, and it’s easy to see why they will net four-plus goals again here. 

However, to see the Capitals’ offense find some success would be far from surprising. They have continued to be excellent at making life hard for opposing netminders, forcing a lot of east-west movement with a lot of plus shooting talent. 

The Capitals likely won’t make Kuemper look as dominant (if he even gets the start), but with the West all locked up, I think we see the Avs opting to give Kuemper a rest here. 

At -120, I see value backing this game to get Over 6.5, and I would play 6.5 down to -135. 

The play: Over 6.5 -120 (Play to -135)