NFL Game of the Night - Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings

Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings

Saturday, October 10 –  Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 

The Washington Capitals have the most explosive offense in the NHL. Period. They scored at least five goals in their first three games before scoring “only” 3 against New York. Despite being held without a point against the Rangers, Alexander Ovechkin already has five goals and four assists this year. Nicklas Backstrom has eightassists, an otherworldly number for this early in the season.  

The Red Wings started off the season slow, losing both games against St. Louis overseas in Sweden. Goaltending was their biggest problem, as both games Detroit held the lead before breaking down and allowing the Blues to win. Chris Osgood was able to bounce back, making 31 saves in a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday, their first of the season.  

What The Capitals Have To Do To Win:

The losses against Philadelphia and New York showcased the team’s only problem: starting goaltending. The Caps have scored a lot of goals, but they’ve also given up four goals in each of their last three games. Jose Theodore can no longer be relied on as a full time starter while rookie Semyon Varlamov doesn’t seem ready to take the reins just yet. One of the two needs to take over if the Caps want to keep winning.  

The Caps defense also needs to tighten up, especially with shaky goaltending behind them. Washington blew the lead against New York on Thursday, and part of that is because of sloppy defensive play. Mike Green is an offensive force, but needs to play better on his own end to be considered an elite defenseman.  

What The Red Wings Have To Do To Win:

The Red Wings are in a similar boat as Washington: potent offense with problems between the pipes. Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard are expected to share the load in Detroit this season, and the Red Wings need both of them to prove they can handle the opportunities.  

So far the Red Wings are a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to the power play and that could be a problem. The Capitals are a top-ten team on the PK, allowing just four goals in 22 tries. Washington is known to take a few too many penalties, and Detroit must try to break the Caps in that area in order to win this game.  

Outlook & Pick

If things go right, this is a possible Stanley Cup preview. Both Washington and Detroit have the necessary ingredients to go all the way. However both teams are currently being plagued by shaky goaltending, and unless those issues are settled they both can take a pass from Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

The Capitals, however, just look amazing on offense and are probably the last team anyone would want to play that’s trying to hash out goalie issues. After Ovechkin went pointless on Thursday, you know that he’ll be trying even harder to get on the score sheet on Saturday.  

Pick: Washington Capitals