Grabbing a win on Tuesday night was a big deal for the Pittsburgh Penguins standings. Pittsburgh had been atrocious in overtime this season, taking eight losses in the extra period before Kris Letang buried a winner against Florida two days ago. But grabbing one victory in such fashion doesn’t cover up Pittsburgh’s biggest problem.
With starting goalkeeper Tristan Jarry stuck on the NHL injury report, Pittsburgh is stuck playing struggling backup Casey DeSmith or a call-up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Being able to exploit the Penguins’ mess in the net will be important for the Washington Capitals, who have an equal amount of points in the NHL standings, but Pittsburgh has three games in hand.
Look for these two old rivals to have an intense battle Thursday night, as they often do when people are making a Penguins vs Capitals prediction.
Making NHL picks on this game may boil down to which side can play a more fundamentally solid game.
Penguins vs. Capitals Odds
Last Game Records
This is the second of three meetings between the two teams. Pittsburgh won the last meeting 4-1 on Nov. 9.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals Information
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals
Location of the game: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Date: Thursday, January 26. 7:00 PM.
How to watch: ESPN+
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals Betting Analysis
Penguins Seeking Steady Goaltending
Making a Penguins vs Capitals prediction will be difficult to do without weighing Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation heavily. Jarry, who has played at an All-Star level in the past two seasons, will be out until after the All-Star break with an upper-body injury.
Backup goaltender DeSmith has had a rough go of things this season. He is 7-9-3 in net with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
The Penguins’ problem this season is one many NHL teams face at some point. Pittsburgh’s aging core has a hard time playing at the consistent level they used to, night after night. The Penguins have had a difficult time playing on the defensive side of the rink. Pittsburgh ranks 26th in the league in shots allowed at 33.1 per game.
According to the NHL player stats, Pittsburgh’s offense has been either hot or cold. The Penguins are just outside the top 10 in goals scored (3.3) and shots on net (32.6) per game. Pittsburgh is 20-27 against the puck line this season.
Washington Needs to Keep Up the Pace
The Capitals are in the middle of the pack offensively. Washington ranks 14th in the league by scoring 3.2 goals per game. The Capitals’ power play is also not strong, ranking 19th in the league by converting 20.5 percent of their power-play opportunities.
Defensively, Washington has a strong approach. The Capitals rank ninth in the league in goals allowed, only giving up 2.8 per game. Washington also has the seventh-best penalty kill in the NHL, killing off 81.6 percent of its power plays.
Alex Ovechkin leads the team in points with 53. Ovechkin also has scored 31 goals. Capitals goalie Darcy Kuemper has a 2.57 goals-against average and has collected 14 wins between the pipes. Washington Capitals odds show the Capitals are 4-6 against the puck line over their past ten games.
Anyone making Penguins vs Capitals prediction will see the Capitals’ games have seen over go 4-5-1 over the past ten games.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals Betting Preview
NHL odds show that the Washington Capitals are -115 favorites at home. The Penguins are +100 on the moneyline. Anyone making NHL picks will also see the over/under is set at six goals.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals Betting Prediction
This is a tough spot for anyone making NHL expert picks. Pittsburgh had a major goaltending crisis going on. The Penguins have had difficulty on the NHL schedule finding a way not to get dragged into firefights. Washington doesn’t quite have the scoring capacity it has had in recent years.
The Capitals have also dropped two consecutive NHL games. However, Washington is catching Pittsburgh at the right time. Expect the Capitals to grab the win. Pittsburgh’s offense will have a hard time keeping up with protecting the goaltender.
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