Washington Capitals (35-19-10) vs St. Louis Blues (34-18-9)
Game Info: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 7:00 pm (Capital One Arena)
Betting Odds: Washington Capitals -125 / St. Louis Blues +100 --- Over/Under: 6 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Washington Capitals host the St. Louis Blues in Tuesday NHL Action.
The St. Louis Blues come into this road contest with an overall record of 34-18-9. Through 61 games, the Blues are 2nd in the Central Division. On the season, they have found the net 217 times, good for a rank of 5th among NHL teams. Heading into the game, St. Louis is the 7th ranked defensive team, allowing opponents to score at an average rate of 2.79 goals per game. So far, the Blues have a strength of schedule rating of 25th in the league. When diving into their opponent-adjusted scoring margin, they come into this game as the 5th ranked team in the NHL.
The Washington Capitals get set to host the St. Louis Blues with an overall record of 35-19-10. This mark places them 4th in the Metropolitan division. Through 64 games, the Capitals have scored 214 goals, giving them an average of 3.28. This output gives them a rank of 7th among NHL teams. On defense, Washington is the 11th ranked unit, giving up 2.78 goals per contest. So far, the Capitals have played the 27th toughest schedule in the league. And, when taking into account Washington's scoring margin relative to the quality of their competition, they come in with a power ranking of 9th in the NHL.
Through 57 games, the St. Louis Blues goal and overall scoring leader is Jordan Kyrou with 60 points. He has reached his mark of 22 goals, on a shooting percentage of 15.9%. So far, 18.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Vladimir Tarasenko, who has 34 assists to go along with his 20 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +3.0. St. Louis's top goalie is Ville Husso, who is giving up an average of 2.34 goals per game. In his 26 games played, he has turned in 16 quality starts, giving him a quality start percentage above the league average.
Through 62 games, the Washington Capitals' goal and overall scoring leader is Alex Ovechkin, with 76 points. He has reached his mark of 40 goals, on a shooting percentage of 14.4%. So far, 32.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has 41 assists to go along with his 21 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +9.0. Washington's top goalie is Ilya Samsonov, who is giving up an average of 2.95 goals per game. In his 34 games played, he has come up with a quality start just 30 percent of the time.
On the season, the St. Louis Blues have a per-game scoring differential of 0.72. Even when playing on the road, the team is winning games by an averge margin of 0.27 goals. As the St. Louis Blues get set to take on the Capitals, they have a below .500 record over their past five games, going 2-3. During this stretch, they have scored 22 goals, accounting for 55% of the scoring in these contests. Even though the team is not finding success in the win column, they come into this game playing well on offense. In their past five games, they have outscored their average of 3.52 goals per game 3 times. Look for the Blues to continue playing well on offense, as Washington has had a tough time slowing down their opponents. I recommend taking the Blues on the moneyline.
Joe’s Pick Blues +100
AUTHOR: Joe Kiemen
Follow Joe Kiemen on Twitter @PickDawgz