It's a classic NHL rivalry on Saturday night when Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. These Metropolitan Division rivals meet for the second of four matchups this season, and so far Pittsburgh has the upper hand after a 4-2 win in November at the Capital One Arena.
These are always spirited tilts, and in an always-tight race in the division standings, the two points are crucial. Here are our Penguins vs. Capitals predictions.
The Capitals have a real good chance to come out of the gates flying, and earn a dominant win on home ice. Pittsburgh is playing in their second road game in as many nights, and even though they have had short travel, it is still a factor that is likely to affect them.
Head to head, the strength of these teams is on different levels, which is proven by Washington owning a hefty division lead of seven points with at least one game in hand, while the Penguins face an uphill battle for a playoff spot down in sixth place.
Washington’s depth has been a welcoming surprise this season at both ends of the ice, as they are getting contributions from everyone, big name or not.
As for Pittsburgh, they are heavily relying on a few guys, and have had major defensive struggles. This is one the Capitals should win handily on home ice.
One of the major flaws from this Penguins team has been their inability to keep the puck out of the net. They are last in the NHL in goals against average (3.38) and have a -30 goal differential. They are now playing a Capitals squad who lead the NHL with a goals per game average of 3.6. This could be a field day for Washington.
On the flip side, I do believe the Penguins can find the back of the net a couple of times. They have some great offensive weapons, and are nearly a top 10 team in goals per game average.
It also seems unlikely that Washington can earn a shutout in three straight games.
Washington has had many surprising contributors this season, none more prominent than Dylan Strome. He currently leads the team in points by a 10-point margin, with 46 points in 45 games. He is an offensive threat every night.
Strome has found a home with this Capitals team, as he has been great for the three years he has been with them.
In a game where I am expecting a lot of Washington offense, I expect him to find himself on the scoresheet.
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Pittsburgh Penguins | +160 |
Washington Capitals | -190 |
Puck Line | WAS Capitals -1.5 |
Total | O/U 6.0 |
Alexander Ovechkin (WAS Capitals) | +105 |
Tom Wilson (WAS Capitals) | +210 |
Sidney Crosby (PIT Penguins) | +210 |
Rickard Rakell (PIT Penguins) | +230 |
Bryan Rust (PIT Penguins) | +230 |
Dylan Strome (WAS Capitals) | +250 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.