Capitals Brutal at Home
A once-promising season has turned into a disappointing one for the Washington Capitals, who have lost three straight overall and six in a row at home. Things won’t get any easier for Washington on Thursday with the dangerous Carolina Hurricanes in town. Carolina is elite on both ends of the ice and the Hurricanes match up well with the banged-up Capitals.
Andersen to Get Vezina Consideration
Considering how poorly Frederik Andersen fared in the playoffs in recent years for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was fair to question how good of a signing he would be for the Carolina Hurricanes this past offseason. Those concerns were quickly put to rest as Andersen has been one of the best goalies in the NHL. He is tied for third in goals-against average and is third in save percentage.
He might not be as dominant as Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, but Andersen’s play, coupled with Carolina’s top-10 offense, has made the Hurricanes a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. They have a comfortable lead in the Metropolitan Division and also boast a stellar record on the road.
Basically, Carolina is extremely well-rounded and will put forth a strong effort coming off a surprising overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, which snapped the Hurricanes’ five-game winning streak. Detroit won outright as a pretty big road underdog on the BetUS sportsbook against Carolina backup Antti Raanta.
No Consistency From Capitals
It would still take a disastrous finish to the season for the Washington Capitals to miss the playoffs, but it’s undeniable that Washington has been a disappointment.
The goaltending situation between Ilya Samsonov, who got hurt in practice on Wednesday after getting pulled in Monday’s loss to the Maple Leafs, and Vitek Vanecek has been untenable and it has really hurt the Capitals.
Washington also got some bad news this week with Carl Hagelin suffering an eye injury that will keep him out for a while. The Capitals have leaned heavily on veterans Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson, but haven’t gotten much in the way of production from further down their lineup. More players need to contribute if Washington is going to overcome all the issues in net.
The Capitals starting goalie has been pulled in four of their 11 home games in 2022.
Samsonov twice. Copley and Fucale once each.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) March 1, 2022
Hurricanes vs Capitals Head-to-Head
Washington won the only meeting of the season 4-2 in November as a sizable road underdog on the NHL betting lines. The Capitals blew a two-goal lead in the third period but held off the Hurricanes thanks to a pair of late goals from Dmitry Orlov and Carlson.
Hurricanes vs Capitals Game Information
- Game: Carolina Hurricanes (37-11-5) at Washington Capitals (28-18-9)
- Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
- Day/Time: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN+/Hulu
Hurricanes vs Capitals Betting Lines
Hurricanes vs Capitals Prediction
If you’re betting online, go with the Hurricanes on the puckline. Washington is undermanned and is going through a brutal stretch in which the Capitals’ major flaws have been exposed, especially by good opponents.
The Hurricanes are a good take on the puckline at any number down to +150. They’ll have Andersen back in goal and Carolina has won his last four starts. If you’re a little wary of taking Carolina to win by multiple goals, you could even parlay the Hurricanes to win in regulation with the over.
