The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes match up for a huge Metropolitan Division showdown. These two will very likely end up near the tops of the division when all is said and done, and a record combination of 8-3-1 proves they are both forces to be reckoned with. Here is our expert Capitals vs. Hurricanes prediction to get you set for what’s to come.
Carolina has not skipped a beat since winning the Stanley Cup in June. Most former winners can tend to start slow due to a short summer and some bumps and bruises, but not this roster. They are 5-1-1, and already have been tested by teams of all different strengths. This includes an early-season loss to this Capitals squad back on October 2nd, a loss I see them avenging in this one. Washington is coming off a rough 5-3 loss to a middling Seattle Kraken team, and things will not get easier as they hit the road to a tough building to compete with the NHL’s best.
A major factor in this one is special teams. Washington currently owns the ninth-lowest power play success rate (15.4%), and while their penalty kill has been decent at 88.2%, neither unit has compared to Carolina. Carolina comes into this one with a 92.9% penalty kill and a 23.3% power play. Not to mention, they rank higher in goals per game by 0.46 goals per game, and lower in goals against per game by 0.37 goals per game. Carolina has won five straight games, and I see them earning their sixth in this contest. They are absolutely steamrolling, so we'll take Carolina on the money line in this one.
Capitals vs Hurricanes prediction: Hurricanes ML (-155) available at time of publishing. Playable to -170.
