Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets - 3/17/22 NHL Picks and Prediction

Columbus Blue Jackets (30-27-3) vs Washington Capitals (33-18-10)

Game Info: Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm (Nationwide Arena)

Betting Odds: Columbus Blue Jackets +160 / Washington Capitals -200 --- Over/Under: 5.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Washington Capitals in Thursday NHL Action.

The Washington Capitals come into this road contest with an overall record of 33-18-10. Through 61 games, the Capitals are 4th in the Metropolitan Division. On the season, they have found the net 201 times, good for a rank of 7th among NHL teams. Heading into the game, Washington is the 11th ranked defensive team, allowing opponents to score at an average rate of 2.79 goals per game. So far, the Capitals have a strength of schedule rating of 26th in the league. When diving into their opponent-adjusted scoring margin, they come into this game as the 11th ranked team in the NHL.

The Columbus Blue Jackets get set to host the Washington Capitals with an overall record of 30-27-3. This mark places them 5th in the Metropolitan division. Through 60 games, the Blue Jackets have scored 199 goals, giving them an average of 3.25. This output gives them a rank of 10th among NHL teams. On defense, Columbus is the 30th ranked unit, giving up 3.67 goals per contest. So far, the Blue Jackets have played the 5th toughest schedule in the league. And, when taking into account Columbus's scoring margin relative to the quality of their competition, they come in with a power ranking of 22nd in the NHL.

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Through 59 games, the Washington Capitals goal and overall scoring leader is Alex Ovechkin with 72 points. He has reached his mark of 37 goals, on a shooting percentage of 13.9%. So far, 27.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has 40 assists to go along with his 19 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +11.0. Washington's top goalie is Ilya Samsonov, who is giving up an average of 2.96 goals per game.

Through 60 games, Columbus' leading goal scorer is Boone Jenner. With his 23 goals and 21 assists, he is the second in overall points, coming in at 44. On the season, he is turning 14.4% of his shots into goals. In addition, the Blue Jackets have benefited from the strong play of Oliver Bjorkstrand, who is the team's overall leader in points. In Columbus's 60 games, he has come up with 21 goals on a shooting percentage of 13.7%. However, when on the ice, the Blue Jackets are -19 in scoring differential. Columbus's top goalie is Elvis Merzlikins, who is giving up an average of 3.44 goals per game. In his 39 games played, he has come up with a quality start just 42 percent of the time.

On the season, the Washington Capitals have a per-game scoring differential of 0.48. Even when playing on the road, the team is winning games by an averge margin of 0.7 goals per game. Heading into their game with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Capitals have a 4-1 record over their past five contests. In these games, they have scored 21 goals, accounting for 57% of the overall scoring. A key to this recent success is the fact that they have outscored their usual output of 3.25 goals per game 4 times. Look for the Capitals to have an easy time picking up the win over Columbus.

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