Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals (5/13/22) Betting Odds, Prediction, Line Combination, Starting Goalies
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I’m sure the Capitals were confident after winning Game 3 6-1. The Caps were up 2-1 in the series and in the driver’s seat to advance to the second round.
Well, Washington may have underestimated just how talented this Florida team is. Remember, nobody won more games (58), accrued more points (122), or scored more goals (340) than the Panthers this year. They don’t care about Alexander Ovechkin or the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions.
Ovechkin and co. better remember that heading into this Game 6. The Caps are on the verge of elimination, and Florida is eyeing a matchup with Toronto in the second round.
Let’s dive into the betting odds and my prediction for Friday’s marquee hockey matchup.
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Betting Odds
Florida Panthers Analysis
During the regular season, the Panthers posted a 319.35 Expected Goals For. That was over 25 goals better than the second-place Maple Leafs.
The Leafs had an amazing year. Maybe the best year Toronto has ever had. But the worst part of it is that Florida was just that much better.
Two things about Florida that are interesting:
The Defense wasn’t that good
There wasn’t a single 40-goal scorer on the team this season
We can’t forget about Jonathan Huberdeau, however, who picked up a whopping 85 assists this season on the way to a 115-point performance. The only guy who scored more points this season than Huberdeau was Connor McDavid.
Through this playoff run, however, McDavid has put Huberdeau to shame. McDavid leads all skaters with seven assists this run, while Carter Verhaeghe has carried the Panthers with his five.
Washington Capitals Analysis
Ovechkin really hasn’t been a force this playoff run. He’s scored once and recorded an assist in every game, but he’s a combined -2 when he’s on the ice.
The Caps probably need him to wake up. He netted 50 pucks this season, one of only a few guys to do that.
Instead, thank goodness for TJ Oshie and Ilya Samsonov. The former is top-10 in Expected Goals this postseason, with 2.8, while the latter is fifth in Goals Saved Above Expected this run with 2.3.
It’s been those two carrying the torch, and those are the two that have led the Caps to a +2.11 Expected Goal Differential over Florida this series.
Of course, the Panthers still lead this series 3-2. That could make Washington undervalued in this pivotal Game 6, which they’ll play on their home ice as significant home underdogs.
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Picks & Prediction
My pick: Washington Capitals ML (+165 at WynnBet)
I think the Caps are undervalued. Sure, this team only went 19-16-6 at home during the regular season, but they’ve outplayed Florida during this run and now have the chance to force a Game 7.
Florida is the better team. But, Samsonov has been great and Ovechkin has yet to wake up. The ceiling is high for Washington, and I think they’ll be too fired up to not force another do-or-die game in this spot.
At anything better than +150, Washington is a buy from me.
Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Starting Goalies & Line Combination
