The defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals will host the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that has won three Stanley Cup titles in the past decade. There will be plenty of star power on the ice in this game, and both teams feature terrific individual playmakers. Washington has won two straight games and come into this matchup with 23 points on the season. The Capitals are back in the mix in the Metropolitan Division. The Blackhawks have won two of their last three games after a miserable stretch of hockey. Chicago has racked up 21 points this season, but sit in 7th place in the rugged Central Division. These two teams know how to win games, and this should be a terrific battle.
Capitals vs. Blackhawks Odds
The moneyline for this game is Washington Capitals -160 while the Chicago Blackhawks come in at +130. The over/under for total goals scored is set at 6.0.
Moneyline: Capitals -160
O/U: 6
Capitals vs. Blackhawks Head to Head
This is the first of two matchups between the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks this season. The two teams split their two games against each other a season ago, with the Blackhawks outscoring the Capitals 9-7 in those matchups.
Capitals vs. Blackhawks Stats
The Washington Capitals have done a ton of damage on offense this season. The Capitals are scoring 3.35 goals per game this season, and have converted 29.7 percent of their power play chances this season. Alex Ovechkin is back to playing great hockey and leads the team with 15 goals and 23 points this season. Goaltender Braden Holtby has struggled to keep pucks out of his net, posting a 3.07 goals against average this season.
The Blackhawks are averaging just 2.67 goals per game despite having some of the best offensive players in the NHL. Chicago has converted just 14.1 percent of their power play chances, which has hurt their goal production. Patrick Kane leads the team with 13 assists, 12 goals, and 25 points this season. Goalie Corey Crawford has posted a 2.44 goals against average and has one shutout this season.
Capitals vs. Blackhawks News
The Washington Capitals will be without one of their top defenseman, Brooks Orpik, for the next four to six weeks. Orpik underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and is expected to miss an extended period of time. The team announced that the surgery was successful.
Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was named the Second Star of the Week in the NHL for his performance last week. Crawford went 2-0-1 and posted a shutout in a week where the goalie stopped 98 of the 100 shots he faced.
Capitals vs. Blackhawks Predictions
On paper, it appears that the Washington Capitals are the safe pick here, but the Blackhawks are starting to show signs of progress. The Blackhawks can score goals, and the Capitals don’t have a solid goaltender on their roster. Corey Crawford had been hot of late, and he should slow down the Capitals offensive attack. Bet the Chicago Blackhawks +130 over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.