The Vancouver Canucks and the Washington Capitals meet in NHL action from the Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon. Who comes out on top in this inter-conference matchup? Let’s dive in and find out with our Canucks vs. Capitals Prediction.
Vancouver Canucks Team Preview
The Vancouver Canucks come into this one looking to rebound from back-to-back losses after a 4-3 OT loss to Detroit in their last matchup. J.T. Miller leads the Canucks with 68 points including 22 goals and 46 assists while Quinn Hughes has 64 points with 12 goals and a team-high 52 assists. Elias Pettersson’s added 68 points of his own with 28 goals as well as 40 assists and Brock Boeser’s chipped in 54 points with a team-high 30 goals. Filip Hronek’s added 36 points with 33 assists as well for the Canucks this season. Thatcher Demko’s gone 27-9-1 with a 2.47 GAA and a .918 save percentage in goal for Vancouver while Casey DeSmith is 7-3-5 with a 2.65 GAA and a .908 save percentage this season.
Vancouver Canucks Team Facts
- The Canucks have won each of their last six games after coming off overtime.
- The Canucks have failed to cover the puck line in 11 of their last 13 games as favorites after coming off overtime.
- The Canucks have won the second period in six of their last seven games as favorites after coming off overtime.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in five of the Canucks’ last six games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
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Washington Capitals Team Preview
The Washington Capitals come into this one looking to build on their 3-0 win over Boston last time out. Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals in scoring with 35 points including 12 goals and 23 assists while Dylan Strome has 34 points with a team-high 20 goals and 14 assists. John Carlson has 29 points with a team-high 26 assists while Anthony Mantha has 24 points with 16 goals this season. In goal for Washington, Darcy Kuemper has gone 11-12-2 with a 3.18 GAA and an .894 save percentage while Charlie Lindgren is 10-7-4 with a 2.71 GAA and a .915 save percentage and Hunter Shepard is 2-1-1 with a 3.19 GAA and an .894 save percentage this season.
Washington Capitals Team Facts
- The underdogs have won five of the last six games between the Canucks and Capitals.
- The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in 10 of their last 11 day games at Capital One Arena following a road win.
- The Capitals have lost the third period in five of their last six games following a road win.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in 10 of the Capitals’ last 11 day games against opponents on a losing streak.
Canucks vs. Capitals Prediction
I’m leaning towards Vancouver here. Washington did a good job of stifling the Bruins and getting back on track, but I think this is a spot where Vancouver shows up to play. The Canucks fell short on Saturday, but we know the firepower this Canucks team possesses, and the Capitals have had one of the worst offenses in the NHL this season so it’s hard to envision that they can pull the rabbit out of the hat in back-to-back games. Give me Vancouver here.