Nashville Predators vs. Washington Capitals Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024

Stadium: Verizon Center Washington
Logo Nashville Predators
VS
Logo Washington Capitals
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OPENER
-1.5

6o -115
CURRENT
-1.5 +229

-108
MONEYLINE
-112

2
SCORE
3

Preview and Prediction

The Washington Capitals will attempt to maintain their impressive home record as they face off against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday evening.

The Capitals have been on a roll at home, winning six consecutive games after suffering a loss to the New Jersey Devils in their season opener. They have been scoring at an impressive rate, with only one of their home victories seeing them score less than four goals. In fact, they have scored a total of 18 goals in their last three home games alone.

Out of their 46 goals this season, 34 have been scored at Capital One Arena, averaging 4.86 goals per game at home. This places them second in the NHL standings as of Tuesday. However, their away record tells a different story, with only 12 goals scored in four games, half of which were scored in a single game against the Devils on October 19th.

Leading the charge in their impressive home record is Alex Ovechkin, who has contributed 12 of his 14 points on home ice with five goals and seven assists. His linemate Dylan Strome, who centers the top line alongside Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas, acknowledges the importance of getting the puck to Ovechkin and praises his playmaking abilities.

The Capitals were on a three-game winning streak before it was snapped by a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. Along with Ovechkin, Strome and Protas have been key players in their recent success, with each of them recording three consecutive multi-point games and a combined total of 22 points.

On the other hand, the Predators have not had the start to the season that they had hoped for, despite adding high-profile players such as Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei in the offseason. With a record of 4-7-1, they currently sit at the bottom of the Central Division, just four points behind fourth place.

Center Ryan O'Reilly acknowledges the frustration within the team and emphasizes the need to dig deeper to turn things around. The Predators have struggled to find consistency, with a five-game losing streak to start the season followed by a three-game winning streak and then three losses in their last four games.

Their struggles can be seen in their offensive output, as they have only scored eight goals in their last four games, with five of those coming in their lone victory. As of Tuesday, they rank 29th in the league in goals for (29) and goals per game (2.42).

Defenseman Luke Schenn believes that the team has been too reliant on playing from the perimeter and not getting enough shots on goal from the inside. This sentiment is reflected in the statistics, with Marchessault tied for third on the team with seven points and Stamkos only recording two goals and five points in 12 games.

PREDICTION
Nashville Predators
3
4
Washington Capitals

Nashville Predators vs. Washington Capitals

Yannick Weber scored his first goal of the season to give the visiting Nashville Predators a 5-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

The struggling Predators, with two assists from Filip Forsberg, had to come back from a 4-3 deficit with two unanswered goals in the third period. Nashville had gone 4-7-1 in its previous 12 games.

The Capitals started off a first-period goal-fest when Richard Panik stepped across the blue line and lobbed a lazy knuckler that fooled Predators goalie Juuse Saros at 9:28.

The Predators responded less than a minute later as Jarred Tinordi wired a hard one from the top of the faceoff circle. It was Tinordi's first of 2019-20 in only his eighth NHL appearance of the season.

Mikael Granlund and Rocco Grimaldi then each got a goal to give the Predators what should have been some healthy breathing room at 3-1 with just under four minutes left in the opening period.

The Capitals snuck to within one before the first was over. Alexander Ovechkin, back from sitting out one game on suspension for skipping last weekend's All-Star Game, scooped up a loose puck misplayed by Saros and put it into an empty net just 24 seconds after Grimaldi's tally.

Oveckin, at career goal No. 693, is now one goal shy of Mark Messier for eighth in the NHL's all-time career goal-scoring list.

Then things fell apart for the Predators in the second period.

Just six minutes in, Nick Bonino went for a breakout pass from behind the Predators' net. He snapped the puck up the middle but it hit Saros' stick and deflected past the goal line. The own goal was credited to Panik, his second of the game.

About five minutes later with the Capitals on the power play, Calle Jarnkrok tried to clear the puck out of the Predators' end and put it right on Tom Wilson's stick, who drilled it past Saros to give the Caps a 4-3 lead.

The Caps took their turn with a wonky play early in the third, though. On the man advantage, Caps goalie Braden Holtby made a lead pass up the ice but Ryan Johansen intercepted it and then snapped it past the bewildered goalie for a shorthanded goal to tie game at four.

Weber's shot from the point with just 4:37 to go slipped past Holtby, who couldn't see past a screen set up by Granlund. The goal stood as the game-winner.

The Predators are back on the ice Thursday, heading to New Jersey to face the Devils, while the Capitals visit the Ottawa Senators Friday.