The Washington Capitals (43-23-11) travel to take on the Arizona Coyotes (22-49-6) in a late-season matchup on Friday night.
The Capitals enter the game in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, just two points behind the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins (44-23-11). Washington currently holds the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference but is also just two points behind the Boston Bruins (47-25-5) for the top wildcard spot.
Meanwhile, the Coyotes sit in last place in the Western Conference’s Central Division. Arizona has the worst record in the NHL, and only the Montreal Canadians (20-47-11) have fewer wins this season than the Coyotes.
Washington is listed at -390 over Arizona.
Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals Look to Keep Offense Hot
The Washington Capitals enter Friday night’s road contest at Arizona coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite the loss, the Capitals were able to earn a point in the loss and have won six of its last eight games overall.
Led by future hall of famer Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals average 3.39 GF/G, the eighth-best in the NHL. Ovechkin leads the Capitals in goals with 50 and is tied with the New York Ranger’s Chris Kreider for third in the NHL, trailing only Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl (54) and Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (58).
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson have also been significant offensive contributors for the Capitals, scoring 24 goals apiece this season.
Meanwhile, defenseman John Carlson has had a standout offensive year, scoring 15 goals and adding 53 assists for 68 points, which is third on the Capitals.
On the other end of the ice, Washington allows 2.95 GA/G, putting them among the middle of the pack in the NHL.
For most of the season, goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek have split duties for Washington. Samsonov has made 37 starts, going 23-10-5 with a .897 SV% and a 2.99 GAA. Vanecek has made 36 starts for Washington, going 19-11-5 with a .909 SV% and a 2.67 GAA.
Coyotes Struggling On Both Ends of the Ice
The Arizona Coyotes come into their home contest against Washington hoping for something to go right for the team. Losers of eight-straight games, the Coyotes have found themselves in the basement of the NHL for the majority of the season, and lately, the injury bug has hit, making things even worse.
The Coyotes have struggled on both ends of the ice this season, and the numbers back that up.
The Coyotes’ offense has been virtually non-existent, averaging 2.44 GF/G, the lowest in the NHL. Arizona has only three players who’ve surpassed 20 goals this season, all 25-years of age or younger.
23-year-old Clayton Keller leads the team with 28 goals, 25-year-old Nick Schmaltz, and 24-year-old Lawson Crouse. However, Keller and Crouse are likely out of the regular season with injuries.
Defensively, the Coyotes have averaged 3.79 GA/G, which is tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the highest in the NHL.
Goaltenders Karel Vejmelka and Scott Wedgewood have struggled to keep pucks out of the net. Vejmelka has made 46 starts going 12-31-3, with a .899 SV% and a 3.67 GAA. Meanwhile, Wedgewood has made 23 starts, going 10-12-2 with a .911 SV% and a 3.16 GAA.
Capitals at Coyotes Pick and Prediction
The Washington Capitals have every advantage in this one over the Arizona Coyotes. Whether it be on offense, defense, or goaltending, the Capitals, on paper, are a much better hockey team and playing better as well.
Washington also has a lot more to play for; even though they’ve already clinched a playoff spot, there’s still time for the Capitals to improve its seeding in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Capitals have played exceptionally well on the road all season long, posting the best road record in the NHL at 24-8-5. Washington has been good on the road recently, going 8-1-2 over its last 11 contests away from home.
Meanwhile, the Coyotes have not played well at home this season. The Coyotes’ 10-26-1 mark at home is the worst in the NHL. Over Arizona’s last eight road games, the team has gone just 1-7-0.
The Capitals and Coyotes have met just once this season, a 2-0 Capitals victory back on October 29.
Washington at -390 is the pick to play for this one.
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