Welcome back to another set of NHL Predictions. Every day, the Last Word on Hockey team dives deep into upcoming games and analyzes key components within matchups. Today, we will be checking out the Washington Capitals versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to take a peek at our other NHL Predictions as the hockey season moves along.
NHL Predictions
Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes
Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South, Monumental Sports Network
The Washington Capitals will be taking a trip down to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes on a Sunday afternoon match. The Caps have made their leap to the top of the standings with yesterday’s win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, taking their winning streak to three. Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes are trailing the Caps by one win in the standings, and are on their own five-game winning streak.
The Hurricanes Are a Force to Be Reckoned With Once Again
The Carolina Hurricanes are doing well this season, which many fans didn’t exactly predict to see. Over the free agency period, heavy blows were dealt to the roster. Even management was shaken up as Eric Tulsky replaced Don Waddell as general manager. In the offseason, Tulsky brought in some high-quality players that had gone under the radar of most teams. Since the beginning of the season, each new member has shown clearly that they mean business with this revitalized Metropolitan Division team.
On their annual western road trip, they went 5-1, the best they have done in recent years. Returning home, they played against their long-time rivals since the old days in Hartford, the Boston Bruins. They sealed up their Halloween night win with an 8-2 score. In a wild turn of events, Carolina scored three goals in less than a minute, starting off with none other than Andrei Svechnikov. The game-winning goal went to Jackson Blake, the second of the rookie’s season, putting him on the leaderboard with big names like Sebastian Aho and Martin Nečas. It was the first time the Canes had scored eight times in one game since 2019.
The Capitals Are Getting Back Into the Swing of Things
The past few seasons have been a bit rough for the Washington Capitals. But this season, things have been trending up. They are currently leading the Metropolitan Division at 16 points, something they had been unable to achieve at this point in the season since 2019. The Caps have been on fire this season and aren’t showing signs of burning out anytime soon.
On Saturday, they hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets and pulled out their own high-scoring win, extending a five-game home arena winning streak to six. In the first twenty minutes, they scored five goals, the most they’ve scored in any first period in over 16 years. Following that, they scored one in each of the other frames of the game, the final score being 7-2. Logan Thompson made 34 saves throughout his sixty minutes on the ice, and currently remains undefeated in each start with the Caps.
NHL Predictions Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes
This game is a real toss-up. Both teams have been playing harder than their usual and both teams are running on winning streaks. It’s always good to take a look at the goaltenders when figuring out a prediction, and if we follow the patterns, it can give a good idea. Logan Thompson has yet to make a back-to-back appearance with the Caps, as they have been alternating every game or two. So it would be likely for them to put Charlie Lindgren in the crease, especially considering that Thompson played just yesterday. Meanwhile, as Frederik Andersen is still out due to a lower-body injury, Pyotr Kochetkov will likely start this afternoon. Going off career numbers and current season numbers, Carolina has the advantage in this aspect.
However, do not count out the Caps. While most of the stats are neck and neck, they do have a particular, unusual statistic on their side that many may not realize. The Carolina Hurricanes have developed a pattern of struggling during games scheduled before 6:00 p.m. Granted that 5:00 p.m. isn’t all that early, it could still factor in.
Prediction: Capitals win 3-2 in overtime
Your Daily Prop Bets
Starting off, the over/under is at 6.0 with over being the favourite, per Bet365. For anytime goalscorers, Martin Nečas (+230) has been looking mighty fine on the ice, scoring two power play goals and five total goals so far this season. Additionally, Tom Wilson (+250) has had his best start in years, racking up two power play goals as well, and six goals total in his first 10 games.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory – USA TODAY Sports
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