[sc:NHL250 ]Buckle up for a promising encounter in the NHL, as the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals lock horns for the third time this season. The two clubs have split their first two meetings this season and both will definitely be looking to gain the upper-hand in their regular season series tonight. Who will succeed in doing so? Will the Flyers bounce back? Or will the Capitals continue their winning ways?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this Metropolitan Division clash. And if you’re craving for some college hoops as well, check out our preview of the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals Preview
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
When: Sunday, February 7, 2016, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals– view all NHL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the Philadelphia Flyers (23-18-9)
[sc:NHL250 ]Following their resounding 6-3 win over Nashville, the Philadelphia Flyers couldn’t sustain their momentum as they fell to Ranger, who beat them yesterday, 3-2, in a shootout. But the Flyers won’t have much time to feel sorry for that setback since their next opponent—the league-leading Washington Capitals—is going to be an even tougher matchup.
On the bright side though, the Flyers can take some confidence about the fact that they won their previous contest with the Capitals, 4-3, on January 27. During that game, the Flyers coughed up a two-goal lead, survived a second-period attack and managed to seal the win via Jakub Voracek’s huge goal in the overtime session.
Moreover, the Flyers’ offense has been relatively clicking as of late, averaging around three goals in their previous seven outings. And a testament to this success has been none other than the pair of Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds, who have 34 goals combined this season.
Giroux, in particular, should be able to continue his highly-efficient play later since he’s had his share of success in this matchup. Across 27 career games versus Washington, he has accumulated 30 points (15 goals and 15 assists).
Meanwhile, Steve Mason is expected to continue minding the net. He turned aside 26-of-28 shots in the sorry loss to the Rangers and owns a 6-7-2 record with a 3.01 GAA through 15 road games (14 starts).
Philadelphia is 4-6 SU and 6-4 OU in its last 10 games away from home.
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Betting on the Washington Capitals (37-9-4)
Thanks to some clutch goals down the stretch, the Washington Capitals were able to gut one out over the pesky Devils Saturday night in a 3-2 shootout win. The pair of T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin took over in the extra period by scoring a goal each to complete the come-from-behind triumph.
With the win, the Capitals notched their 37th of the season and continue to hold the best record in the NHL today. Up next on their schedule is an intriguing battle with the Philadelphia Flyers, who defeated them in their last meeting this season.
Expect the Capitals be very aggressive on offense and defense from start to finish. They are averaging an NHL-best 3.26 goals per game and are allowing just 2.24 goals this season, which is the second-lowest in the league.
Ultimately though, look to Ovechkin to lead the attack for them. He has 29 goals already this year and has been able to find the net in three of his previous five contests. Ovechkin has also played considerably well throughout his career opposite Philadelphia with a total of 46 points (29 goals and 17 assists). But he was held goal-less in his last meeting with the Flyers.
On defense, the Capitals will be putting their trust on Braden Holtby to play between the pipes. He walks into this game carrying a solid 32-5-3 record along with a 2.06 GAA and .928 SV%. Holtby also negated 22-of-24 shots in their win over New Jersey yesterday.
Washington is 8-2 SU and 6-3-1 OU in its past 10 games at the Verizon Center.
Writer’s Prediction
Washington wins, 5-2. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the exciting NHL regular season action.
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