The Washington Capitals will play the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Washington only has one win on the year, while New Jersey has won two games in a row.
Capitals Preview
The Washington Capitals are 1-3-1 this year after they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-1 on Tuesday night. Washington allowed Toronto to score the first four goals in this game, but they did score late in the second period to avoid the shutout. The Capitals out shot Toronto by a total of 37-17 and went 1-3 on the power play in the game. Washington has also lost to Montreal and Ottawa during this losing streak. The Washington Capitals are scoring 1.25 goals per game and they are allowing 3.75 goals against per game, while going 0% on the power play and 73.7% on the penalty kill coming into Tuesday’s game. John Carlson has led the Capitals with one goal, three assists, and 12 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Washington is Hunter Shepard, who is making his first appearance of the season.
Devils Preview
The New Jersey Devils are 3-1-1 this season after they defeated the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 5-2 on Tuesday. New Jersey trailed 1-0 early in the game, but they scored the next four goals to pull away for the win. The Devils out shot Montreal by a total of 34-29 and went 2-4 on the power play in the game. New Jersey defeated the New York Islanders in the game prior to Montreal. The New Jersey Devils are scoring 3.75 goals per game and they are allowing 3.50 goals against per game, while going 42.9% on the power play and 70.6% on the penalty kill coming into Tuesday. Jack Hughes has led the Devils this year with four goals, six assists, and 22 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for New Jersey is Akira Schmid, who is 1-0-1 this season with a 3.30 goals against average and a .892 save percentage.
New Jersey Devils Team Facts
- The Devils have lost three of their last four games as home favorites.
- The Devils have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games at Prudential Center.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in five of the Devils' last six games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Devils have won the third period in each of their last three games following a road win.
Washington Capitals Team Facts
- The Capitals have lost seven of their last eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Capitals have covered the puck line in nine of their last 10 night games at Prudential Center following a loss.
- The Capitals have lost the second period in four of their last five games.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in each of the Capitals' last three games at Prudential Center against opponents on a winning streak.
New Jersey Devils Player Prop Facts
- Erik Haula has recorded at least one point in each of his last six appearances with his team as a favorite against the Capitals.
- Jesper Bratt has scored at least one goal in four of the Devils' last five games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- Jack Hughes has recorded at least one assist in each of the Devils' last four games against opponents who are playing on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- Jack Hughes ranks T1st in the league for Assists (10) this season.
Washington Capitals Player Prop Facts
- Dylan Strome has recorded at least one point in each of his four previous appearances at Prudential Center.
- Dylan Strome has recorded at least one assist in each of his four previous appearances in night games at Prudential Center.
- Dylan Strome ranks T9th in the league for multi-goal game (1) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New Jersey Devils ranks T25th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (71.43%).
- The New Jersey Devils ranks T1st in the league in short handed goals allowed this season (0).
- The Washington Capitals ranks T30th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (68.18%).
- The Washington Capitals ranks 28th in the league for goals against per game this season (3.80).
Pick
The Capitals come into this game continuing to struggle after they lost another game last night. Washington only scored the one goal and they have scored two goals or fewer in four of their first five games. New Jersey is coming off of a win on Tuesday and they are on a two game winning streak. This Washington team has been brutal to start the season and I need to see more scoring from them before I even think about taking them. Take the Devils -1.5 here.
AUTHOR: David Racey
