Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers - 5/11/22 NHL Picks and Prediction

Florida Panthers (60-20-6) vs Washington Capitals (46-27-13)

Game Info: Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 7:30 pm (FLA Live Arena)

Betting Odds: Florida Panthers -204 / Washington Capitals +164 --- Over/Under: 6.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Florida Panthers host the Washington Capitals in Wednesday NHL Playoff Action.

The Washington Capitals come into this road contest looking to bounce back from a tough 3-2 loss at home to the Panthers. Through 82 games, the Capitals are 4th in the Metropolitan Division. On the season, they have found the net 275 times, good for a rank of 10th among NHL teams. Heading into the game, Washington is the 12th-ranked defensive team, allowing opponents to score at an average rate of 2.95 goals per game. When diving into their opponent-adjusted scoring margin, they come into this game as the 13th-ranked team in the NHL.

The Florida Panthers head back home, looking to go up 3-2 in game 5 of this first-round series. Through 82 games, the Panthers have scored 340 goals, giving them an average of 4.11. This output gives them a rank of 1st among NHL teams. On defense, Florida is the 13th ranked unit, giving up 2.95 goals per contest. And, when taking into account Florida's scoring margin relative to the quality of their competition, they come in with a power ranking of 1st in the NHL.

Through 77 games, the Washington Capitals goal and overall scoring leader is Alex Ovechkin with 90 points. He has reached his mark of 50 goals, on a shooting percentage of 15.0%. So far, 32.0% of his goals have come during power play time. Behind him is Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has 54 assists to go along with his 24 goals. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus-minus rating of +7.0. Washington's top goalie is Ilya Samsonov, who is giving up an average of 3.02 goals per game.

Through 82 games, Florida's leading goal scorer is Aleksander Barkov. With his 39 goals and 49 assists, he is the second in overall points, coming in at 88. On the season, he is turning 18.2% of his shots into goals. In addition, the Panthers have benefited from the strong play of Jonathan Huberdeau, who is the team's overall leader in points. In Florida's 82 games, he has come up with 30 goals on a shooting percentage of 13.5%. While on the ice, his offensive production has led to a plus minus rating of +35. Florida's top goalie is Sergei Bobrovsky, who is giving up an average of 2.67 goals per game. In his 54 games played, he has turned in 33 quality starts, giving him a quality start percentage above the league average.

In Washington's 82 games, the over has hit in over half of their games, going 45-33-4. So far, taking the over when the Capitals are playing away from home, has been a good bet with an over-under record of 22-18-1. On the season 63.0% of Washington's games have gone for at least 6 goals or more, with 52.0% of the scoring coming from the Capitals. In Florida's 82 games, the over has hit in over half of their games, going 46-31-5. So far, taking the over when the Panthers are playing at home, has been a good bet with an over-under record of 27-11-3. On the season, 68.0% of Florida's games have gone for at least 6 goals or more, with 57% of the scoring coming from the Panthers. Even though the Panthers and Capitals combined for just 5 goals in game 4, look for their to be a spike in scoring, as each team finished near the top of the league in goals scored during the regular season. I recommend the over at 6.5 goals.