The Florida Panthers had their backs up against the wall in Game 4 against the Washington Capitals. On the road, trailing 2-1 in the series and entering overtime, it wasn’t looking good for them.
However, the Panthers alive right when they needed to the most. Carter Verhaeghe knocked in the first goal of the extra period and tie the series up.
Can Florida keep this magic going for another game or will the Capitals get right back in the win column? Let’s check the latest NHL lines, stats, injury reports, and NHL odds for Capitals vs Panthers. We’ve plenty of NHL picks and predictions.
Capitals Squandered Chance
Washington and Florida are tied up in this series after the Capitals gave up the tying goal late in regulation before falling in overtime.
They’re a team that is already playing without Tom Wilson in the lineup and choking a late-game lead always ends up getting into players’ heads. They could have been ahead 3-1 in this series.
This group is going to have to do what Alex Ovechkin said: “Forget about it, move on.” Assuming the Capitals are able to do just that, there shouldn’t be much worry about. At the same time, momentum has turned and it can be hard to get it back.
Panthers: Miraculous Comeback
With just a few minutes remaining in the third period, Florida was trailing by a goal and pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for an extra skater.
As luck would have it, Sam Reinhart found the back of the net and tie things up. Obviously, Florida can’t rely upon these types of situations to win games in the postseason.
Especially because the Panthers already have championship aspirations, it was a fantastic come-from-behind win that should give the entire roster new life.
Capitals vs Panthers Head-to-Head
The Panthers just beat the Capitals for the fourth time this season and have won four out of the seven total matchups against them.
The Panthers are coming into this game as solid favorites in the sportsbook following the huge Game 4 comeback. Florida won the Presidents’ Trophy and was expected to be winning this series at this point.
However, Washington has found ways to keep the Panthers on their heels and were a few minutes away from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. It seems like the momentum should swing back to the Panthers in Game 5 – especially because they are back at home in this matchup as well.
It’s hard to see them falling apart after such a great comeback. Take them with your NHL picks.
Derrick Erickson has been entrenched in sports media over the last decade. From working in fantasy sports to the sports betting side of things, he's been plugged in for quite some time. His favorite teams include the Texas Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys, and Dallas Mavericks.