Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers Free Preview

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Two of the most-penalized teams in the NHL, the Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers clash at the BB&T Center for an Eastern Conference matchup. The match gets going at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 22, and fans at home can catch it live on TVA Sports.

Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers Odds

Washington (-105) is entering this one as the underdog to Washington (-115) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals. The line for betting the total stands at -110 for the over and -110 on the under.

Washington is 34-26 straight up (SU) and has earned 3.1 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 60 regular season contests, 35 of its games have gone over the total, while 24 have gone under and just one has pushed. As the road team in 2017-18, the Caps are 14-15 SU.

Washington has converted on 21.1 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that places them in the top-10 among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is ranked 19th overall, and it has successfully killed off 79.9 percent of all penalties.

For the team as a whole, the Caps have been called for penalties 4.1 times per game overall in the 2017-18 season, 4.0 per game over its last five contests total, and 4.4 per game over its last five on the road. The team’s been forced to kill penalties 8.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.

Averaging 28.5 saves per game with a .909 save percentage, Braden Holtby (28-16-4) has been the best option in goal for Washington this season. If it chooses to rest him, however, head coach Barry Trotz may roll with Philipp Grubauer (6-15-3), who has a .916 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average this year.

Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov will both be relied on to facilitate things for the visiting Capitals. Ovechkin has 67 points on 36 goals and 31 assists, and has recorded two or more points in 18 different games. Kuznetsov has 16 goals and 39 assists to his credit (and has logged at least one point in 37 games).

Florida is 26-31 straight up (SU) and has lost 4.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. 31 of its matches have gone over the total, while 26 have gone under and none have pushed. This season, the team is 13-12 SU at home.

The Panthers have converted on just 19.7 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 20th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 79.5 percent of all opponent power plays.

Florida skaters have been called for penalties 4.4 times per game in total this season, and 3.8 per game over their past ten match ups. The team has had to defend opponent power plays 10.4 minutes per game over their last five home outings.

James Reimer has denied 27.9 shots per game as the top choice in goal for the Panthers. Reimer has 15 wins, 20 losses, and five overtime losses to his name and has maintained a mediocre 3.22 goals against average and a subpar .905 save percentage this year.

Aleksander Barkov (20 goals, 34 assists) will lead the attack for the Panthers.

Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers Free Picks

Free Pick: SU Winner – Panthers, O/U – Under

Betting Trends

  • Seven of Florida’s last ten outings have been decided by two or more goals. The team is 5-2 overall in those games.
  • Power-play opportunities may have a critical role in this game. The Capitals are 12-5 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 18-13 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total. The Panthers are 8-15 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 11-18 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
  • Florida is 2-3 in games decided by a shootout this season while Washington is 3-1 in shootouts.
  • Washington may hold an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The team’s 15-11 in one-goal games, while Florida is 12-14 in such games.
  • The total has gone over in four of Florida’s last five games.
  • Florida is ranked 27th this season with 11.5 giveaways per game. That figure has improved lately, however, as the team’s averaged 10.4 giveaways over its last 10 games and 9.0 giveaways over its last five.
  • Washington is ranked 24th this season with 11.0 giveaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it’s averaged 8.5 giveaways over its last 10 games and 10.0 giveaways over its last five.
  • Washington skaters have accounted for the 12th-most hits in the league (22.2 per game), but that number’s down to just 17.8 hits over their last five away games.