The Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning meet in NHL action from the Amalie Arena on Thursday night. Who comes out on top in this Eastern conference tilt? Let’s dive in and find out with our Capitals vs. Lightning Prediction.
Washington Capitals Team Preview
The Washington Capitals come into this one looking to build on back-to-back wins after a 6-2 win over New Jersey last time out. Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals in scoring with 41 points including 16 goals and 25 assists while Dylan Strome has 39 points with a team-high 21 goals and 18 assists. John Carlson has 31 points with a team-high 28 assists while Anthony Mantha has 28 points with 17 goals this season. In goal for Washington, Darcy Kuemper has gone 12-12-3 with a 3.16 GAA and an .894 save percentage while Charlie Lindgren is 11-8-4 with a 2.62 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 Capitals have lost each of their last 11 games as underdogs following a home win.
- The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in 19 of their last 21 night games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Capitals have lost the first period in each of their last seven games as underdogs following a home win.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Capitals’ last seven night games.
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning come into this one looking to rebound from back-to-back losses after a 4-2 loss to Ottawa last time out. Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning in scoring with 94 points including a team-high 36 goals and 58 assists while Brayden Point has 28 goals and 30 assists for his 58 points. Victor Hedman’s added 54 points with 45 assists while Steven Stamkos has 50 points with 27 assists and Brandon Hagel has 53 points split between 20 goals and 33 assists. Jonas Johansson has gone 10-7-5 with a 3.54 GAA and an .886 save percentage while Andrei Vasilevskiy is 19-13 with a 2.95 GAA and an .898 save percentage this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Facts
- The Lightning have lost four of their last five games as favorites following a home loss.
- The home team has covered the puck line in each of the last five games between the Capitals and Lightning.
- The underdogs have won the second period in seven of the last eight games between the Capitals and Lightning.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1’ market has hit in each of the Lightning’s last seven home games against opponents on a winning streak.
Capitals vs. Lightning Prediction
I’m on the Capitals here. I know the Caps have had their issues, but the Lightning in their last couple of games have looked like their best years are behind them. Washington’s been able to provide value in some spots and despite having the better team, it hasn’t stopped Tampa Bay from getting rung up in the last couple of games. Give me Washington and the plus money here.