The Washington Capitals are sitting pretty atop the overall standings in the NHL and their spot in the playoffs has long been guaranteed. The Philadelphia Flyers, on the other hand, are in a much different situation, as Claude Giroux and company are still fighting for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Will the Caps show their might and down Philadelphia? Or will the Flyers demonstrate the meaning of bad beat later tonight? For more hockey, you can also see our latest power rankings for the top 10 teams in the NHL here.
After a 4-0 loss to St. Louis on Saturday, the Capitals did what any Stanley Cup title contender should do: pulverize their next opponents and get their confidence back up again. The Caps secured the Presidents’ Trophy on Monday, beating Columbus at home, 4-1.
The Caps had their third-period game on point as usual versus Columbus, as they scored three of their goals in that canto. Washington is number one in the NHL with 92 goals in the third period so far this season.
Scoring hasn’t been that hard for Washington this season and regardless of the period, the Caps should be able to find the back of the net against Philadelphia’s middle-of-the-road defense that has allowed 11 goals in the two teams’ past three meetings. That includes the Caps’ 3-2 home win over Philly on February 7. The Capitals are second in the league in scoring with 3.09 goals for per contest.
Braden Holtby was in front of the net for Washington in all those previous encounters with Philadelphia and have done a decent job of frustrating the Flyers’ offense. He is 2-0 in three starts against the Flyers and have allowed six goals on 87 shots faced. Holtby remains in fine form this month, as he is 6-2-1 with a 2.12 GAA and .919 SV% in nine starts thus far this March.
The over is 4-1 in Washington’s last five road games.
The Flyers are still…flying. With a 3-2 overtime win over Winnipeg on Monday, the Flyers tied Detroit for the eighth and final playoff ticket in the Eastern Conference. Getting at least a point later tonight will be no easy task for Philly, however, considering the quality of its opponent in the form of Washington.
Still, it’s a big plus for the Flyers that they’re going to face the Caps at Wells Fargo Center, where Philadelphia is 4-1 in its last five games.
Claude Giroux scored the overtime winner in the Winnipeg game and he’ll be carrying the momentum he got from that later tonight. Giroux has been on fire lately scoring four goals and adding an assist in his last five games. Giroux has a goal and two assists in the past three games against Washington. Giroux paces the team with 22 goals and 42 assists this season. Jakub Voracek, meanwhile, scored two goals in Philly’s 4-3 win over the Caps on January 27.
On defense, the Flyers are hoping to see Washington continue to struggle on the man advantage. Washington is just 2-for-13 on the power play over its last five games. In any case, it looks like Philadelphia’s penalty kill has the tools to combat Washington’s special teams, as the Flyers have shut down 10 of their opponents’ last 11 power plays.
