Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals Game 2 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
The Hurricanes drew first blood in this series with Tuesday’s narrow 2-1 victory in Game 1, halting a three-game slide when facing the Caps on the road. The Capitals are coming off their weakest performance of the postseason in Game 1 and have now fallen to defeat in five of their past eight postseason contests on home ice.
The Hurricanes once again lead the way on the NHL odds, pegged as -170 favourites to seize a commanding 2-0 series lead. The Canes have also vaulted to -425 chalk on the NHL playoff series prices and have pulled even with the Dallas Stars as +350 co-favourites on the Stanley Cup odds. The Capitals look to Game 2 as +140 home underdogs and have faded to a +320 longshots on the NHL series prices. The total for Thursday’s Game 2 matchup is listed at 5.5.
Hurricanes vs. Capitals NHL Betting Odds
With the Hurricanes’ Game 1 victory, the recent seesaw battle between these Metropolitan Division rivals continues. Overall, the Canes have claimed the win in five of nine dates with the Capitals but have tallied consecutive wins just once over that stretch, and have failed to record consecutive wins in Washington during the same season since March 2018. But overall, the Hurricanes have impressed while winning five of their past six, limiting opponents to two or fewer goals four times over that stretch. However, that has not resulted in consistent payouts for NHL betting fans taking the UNDER in totals betting, which has gone 5-3-1 over the club’s past nine games.
Tuesday’s defeat snapped a three-game home win streak for the Capitals and marked the first time they have been limited to a single goal in four weeks. Apart from their domination of the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, the Caps have not enjoyed home cooking in NHL playoffs in recent years, posting wins in just six of 17 postseason home dates since April 2019 while averaging just 2.47 goals per game.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes turned in a dominant performance in Game 1, allowing just 14 shots on goaltender Frederik Andersen while also holding a significant edge in hits and in the face-off circle. While he was rarely tested in Game 1, Andersen has been a standout for the Canes, allowing just seven total goals through his first five playoff game appearances and compiling a sparkling .935 save percentage. That marks a big turnaround after the Danish netminder was rocked for 20 total goals in his final four regular season appearances including a forgettable performance in a 5-4 shootout loss in Washington on April 10.
While Carolina’s big guns were largely silent in Game 1, rearguard Jaccob Slavin stepped, generating a team-high five shots on goal including the game-winning goal and now rides a three-game points streak into Game 2. Logan Stankoven has also started to heat up, tallying a goal and an assist over the past two games. Stankoven has also scored in three straight appearances versus the Caps and is a lucrative +340 bet on the NHL player props to extend that streak on Thursday.
Washington Capitals
Logan Thompson once again turned in a brilliant performance in the Capitals net in Game 1, turning aside 31 of 33 shots, and has now surrendered two or fewer goals in five of his six playoff outings to date. But with Washington shooters struggling to find the mark, Thompson’s efforts were wasted in Game 1.
Indeed, the team’s biggest offensive threats have struggled to generate chances. Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome combined to two total shots on goal in Game 1 and the duo has potted just two total goals over the past three games. Pierre-Luc Dubois’ late-season slump has carried over into the playoffs. Dubois has picked up just two assists so far in the NHL playoffs and has scored just two total goals in 20 games since late March.
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