Washington Capitals vs. Vancouver Canucks Prediction, NHL Odds
After a disastrous start to the season for the Vancouver Canucks, the team has improbably climbed the standings and now sit just three points behind Dallas for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Washington Capitals, on the other hand, hold a dominant 13 point lead over Columbus for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot. Both teams were last in action on Wednesday night. The Canucks opened a seven-game homestand with a 5-3 win over Montreal, while the Capitals fell 4-3 in overtime in Edmonton.
Washington opened as a -120 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with a total of 6.0.
Capitals vs. Canucks NHL Betting Odds
This wraps up the season series between these two interconference teams. Vancouver won 4-2 on the road on Jan. 16, with Elias Pettersson scoring two goals for the Canucks.
Historically, Washington has done well in Vancouver, winning eight of their last 11 trips to B.C. They’re 31-28 against the spread this season and a healthy 20-9 ATS on the road. The total has gone Over in four of the Capitals’ last five games.
The Canucks are hot right now, winning six of their last seven games. They’re 34-24 ATS overall, with covers in 15 of 26 home games. Vancouver’s games have generally been high scoring affairs lately, with the total going Over in six of their last nine games overall and six of their last seven at home.
Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie’s eighth goal of the season tied the game with less than two seconds to play on Wednesday, but the Capitals would ultimately fall to Edmonton in overtime. It was Oshie’s second goal of the game after scoring a power-play marker earlier in the period. Nicklas Backstrom had Washington’s first goal of the game, while Ilya Samsonov made 36 saves. Alex Ovechkin was held pointless and remains one goal away from sole possession of third place on the NHL all-time goals list. Ovechkin is having a standout year and sits eighth in NHL scoring with 70 points (36G, 34A), but he has come under scrutiny concerning his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ovechkin was booed consistently whenever he touched the puck in Calgary on Tuesday and in Edmonton on Wednesday.
There’s been no word on who will get the start on Friday between Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek, but the Caps have started to rely more on Vanecek, who has won his last three starts. Vanecek has a 13-7-5 record this season, with a 2.32 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. Samsonov is 17-9-4 with a 2.96 GAA and .901 SV.
Vancouver Canucks
J.T. Miller’s four-point night led Vancouver to a third straight win on Wednesday. Miller collected a goal and three assists, while Travis Hamonic, Brock Boeser, Pettersson and Bo Horvat rounded out the scoring for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko made 22 saves in the win. Miller has collected 21 points (7G, 14A) on a 10-game point streak and he now sits tied for ninth in league scoring with 67 points (23G, 44A). The Canucks leading scorer has been consistently part of trade speculation, but whether he is moved or not will come down to if Vancouver thinks they’re a legitimate playoff team.
Demko, who has won his last six starts, is expected to get the start again on Friday. The Canucks No. 1 goalie is 26-16-2 with a 2.64 GAA and .917 SV.
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