The Washington Capitals will continue to face the President’s Trophy winning Florida Panthers in game five of this best of seven series with it all tied up 2-2. Florida won an overtime thriller 3-2 in game four. This series is quickly becoming a must-watch as there are many superstars on either team pushing to move on to the next round of the playoffs.
Viewers can tune into this matchup on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. Game five at the FLA Live Arena is sure to be an electric atmosphere in South Florida.
Capitals at Panthers Stats
Washington Capitals Stats
The Washington Capitals are undoubtedly the NHL betting odds underdog in this series. In some of the games thus far, they have played like the favorite and are not letting any critics knock them off of their game.
They have a potent offense with the ability to dominate on the power play that can give the Caps an advantage if their opponent takes undisciplined penalties. Everything offensively starts with the great eight.
Alex Ovechkin is the engine that makes this team go. Currently, he has tallied one goal and four assists in these playoffs. If Washington is going to make a deep run this postseason, it will be because of the impact that Ovechkin brings.
Goaltending for the Capitals has been a major difference maker. As a team, they are 5th in the playoffs currently with a goals against average of 2.75 so far in the first round.
They are playing a very dangerous team in the Panthers that can score at will so the fact that they are limiting their opposition’s offensive chances gives Washington a major advantage.
Florida Panthers Stats
The 2021-22 President’s Trophy winners find themselves in a battle to get out of the first round. They were able to pull out an overtime winner in game four, but they are going through the struggles of the playoffs currently. For a team that was one of the best in the league in scoring, Florida has only scored more than three goals once in this series.
If the Panthers want to make a deep cup run this postseason they will need major contributions from their star players. Forwards Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Claude Giroux must all step up to ensure the Panthers are going to get the scoring numbers that they need.
The playoffs are played tougher defensively so their big stars up front must adapt and find a way to score more.
As one of the NHL expert picks to win the Stanley Cup, pressure is beginning to pile up on Florida as this series progresses. It will be interesting to see how they handle that pressure and if they can get back to their dominating fashion that they had throughout the regular season.
Matchup information
Capitals at Panthers Betting Trends
- The under is 6-1 in Panthers last 7 Conference Quarterfinal playoff games
- The under is 3-1 so far this series
- Washington is 1-5 in their last six games on 1 day rest
- Florida is 0 for 13 on the powerplay this series
Capitals at Panthers Predictions
Overall both teams have played defensively sound to give their team a chance to win. With the series tied 2-2 it is truly any team’s series at this point. Florida is the Moneyline favorite from the NHL betting stats with -225 odds while the Capitals are a +185 underdog. While the Capitals are playing at a high level, Florida will defend home ice and take a 3-2 series lead in game 5.
The over/under for the contest is at 6.5 total goals. The odds for the over are -125 while the under odds are +105. These two teams surprisingly have played more defensively between each other. Look for that trend to continue and play the under with one of your NHL betting picks.
Conclusion
All in all, this Atlantic Division rivalry has lived up to the expectations. The biggest surprise is the lack of consistent offensive production from both teams. With each team having their own specific game plan for every game it is showing the quality of coaching of these teams.
Expect game five to have tension, energy, and skill for both of these teams. Florida will look to defend home ice as Washington is going to try and play spoiler as the road underdog. Be sure to tune into this Atlantic Division playoff contest.
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