Welcome back to another day of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head and other factors that may play in. We also have a featured game of the day, which is considered must-watch TV. Today’s featured game is the Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers.
NHL Predictions with Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers
Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers
Head-to-Head: Capitals 0 – 0 Panthers
Tonight, two Eastern Conference heavyweights face off. The Florida Panthers sit atop the Atlantic Division, courtesy of a nearly perfect 8-0-1 record. The Washington Capitals are in third place in the always-competitive Metropolitan Division, going 5-1-3 through nine games. Both teams enter this game fresh off losses—the first defeat of the season for Florida, and the first regulation loss for Washington.
Evgeny Kuznetsov will be a player to watch on the Capitals. He currently holds a three-game point streak—a goal and three assists—and is second on his team in points, with his 13 trailing only Alex Ovechkin’s 15. On the other side of the ice, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will be key to Florida’s success. He has had six starts this season and won all of them. Bobrovsky is within the top five goaltenders league-wide in save percentage (.944), goals against average (1.81), and goals saved above average (6).
Should Sam Bennett’s day-to-day injury prevent him from playing this game, it will be a significant blow to the Panthers lineup. However, the Capitals are also missing players, including T.J. Oshie. Expect the Panthers to take this game.
Predictions: Panthers win, 4-2
New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens
Head-to-Head: Islanders 0 – 0 Canadiens
Both contenders from last season’s playoffs, the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens have gotten off to slow starts this year. However, Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been excellent in an injured Semyon Varlamov’s stead. First-line winger Josh Bailey has also been hot as of late, scoring a goal and three assists in the last three games. Montreal, on the other hand, will be missing several key pieces, including Brendan Gallagher and Mathieu Perreault. Though neither team has looked particularly strong thus far, the Islanders are doing better in a more competitive division and should therefore have an edge on the Canadiens in this matchup.
Prediction: Islanders win, 2-0
Vegas Golden Knights vs Ottawa Senators
Head-to-Head: Golden Knights 0 – 0 Senators
Both the Vegas Golden Knights and Ottawa Senators come into tonight’s game fresh off losses. Notably, injuries continue to be a problem for the Golden Knights. On Monday, William Karlsson joined the likes of Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone on the list of sidelined players. The Senators have sustained a few injuries of their own, including an upper-body one to Shane Pinto. However, Ottawa’s recent losses have stemmed more from bad defence than anything else. Though Vegas’s forward lines certainly aren’t running at full strength, they should still be enough to get past Ottawa.
Prediction: Golden Knights win, 3-1
Detroit Red Wings vs Boston Bruins
Head-to-Head: Red Wings 0 – 0 Bruins
Though the Detroit Red Wings lead the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings, it’s worth noting that they’ve played more games than the Bruins. Detroit lost to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday to extend their losing streak to three, while Boston eeked out an upset win over the Florida Panthers. Alex Nedeljkovic has been solid in net for the Red Wings, with a .911 save percentage. For the Bruins, second-line centre Charlie Coyle has two goals and a shootout goal through the last three games. Detroit has pulled off some surprising wins, but this one should go to Boston.
Prediction: Bruins win, 3-2
Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-Head: Flyers 0 – 0 Penguins
Cross-state rivals will go head to head as the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins meet for the first time this season. Both teams are in the Metropolitan Division, with the Flyers in the middle of the pack and the Penguins at last. Philadelphia enters tonight’s contest off a win over the Arizona Coyotes. On the other hand, Pittsburgh comes in with the hope of stopping their current three-game skid.
For the Flyers, generating offence immediately will be key. The team started their last two games sluggishly, causing them to rely heavily on netminder Carter Hart. However, Hart can’t be expected to bail the team out every night. The Flyers will have to figure out a way to control possession and put more shots on goal from the outset to lighten his workload.
The Penguins have been dealing with their own struggles, mostly surrounding injuries and illness. Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Kris Letang were already sidelined by injuries. Then, on Wednesday, Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin tested positive for COVID-19. Given the severely depleted state of the Penguins roster, it will most likely be the Flyers who walk away with the victory tonight.
Prediction: Flyers win, 3-2
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
