Capitals Catch Vegas at end of Long Road Trip
The Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals meet at Capital One Arena on Wednesday. This is a rematch of last years Stanley Cup Finals. The Golden Knights are off to a slow start to the year so far. You can catch all the action on NBC Sports Network at 8 pm EST. Oddsmakers opened the Capitals as -140-moneyline favorites versus the Golden Knights, while the game’s total opened at 5.5. The line has held steady, but the total is up to 6 Under -120. Marc-Andre Fleury has three Stanley Cup rings in his career. An inability to win a fourth in June has the normally laid-back goaltender seeking payback. Fleury aims to exact a bit of revenge on Wednesday after a slow start to the new campaign. Fleury yielded 20 goals of 136 shots (.853 save percentage) as the Golden Knights fell to the Capitals in five games last summer. Washington has had plenty of time to cool its jets after opening the season with a 7-0 romp of Boston last Wednesday. They then dropped a wild 7-6 overtime decision to rival Pittsburgh the following night.Vegas Need Offensive Production Against Capitals
Vegas is 1-2 to start the young season. The offense isn’t breaking the bank as the club has mustered just five goals in three games this season. Jonathan Marchessault doubled his point total by scoring and setting up a goal against the Sabres. He looks to provide more offense after notching just three assists during the Stanley Cup Finals. Fellow center William Karlsson followed up a promising start to the Finals by being held off the score-sheet for the final three contests. That drought has continued as the Swede has yet to score a goal. He led the team in both tallies (43) and points (78) last season. Fleury has to better in the net. His save percentage dropped to .841 following Vegas’ 4-2 setback to Buffalo at KeyBank Center. He put up a career-best totals in goals-against average (2.24) and save percentage (.927) during the season. Vegas is 0-for-8 with the man advantage this season. They finished with the 11th-ranked power play (21.4 percent) in 2017-18.Capitals Off to Good Start
T.J. Oshie has started the season with a flourish by recording a goal and an assist in the opener. He also scored 21 seconds apart in the third period to cap a three-point performance versus the Penguins. Three-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin scored in both contests this season. That increases his career total to 609 goals. It puts him one shy of “The Golden Jet” Bobby Hull for 17th in NHL history. Ovechkin wasn’t shy against Vegas on the league’s grand stage in June. He collected three goals and two assists en route to wrapping up Conn Smythe Trophy honors. Russian countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov erupted for eight points (one goal, seven assists) in the Stanley Cup Finals. He picked up where he left off this season, scoring twice versus the Bruins before setting up a goal against the Penguins. Washington is a blistering 4-for-8 with the man advantage. PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Capitals 2NHL Betting Odds & Trends
| Vegas Golden Knights | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vegas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games | ||
| Vegas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vegas’s last 5 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vegas’s last 6 games on the road | ||
| Vegas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington | ||
| Vegas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vegas’s last 6 games when playing Washington | ||
Washington Capitals |
||
|---|---|---|
| Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games | ||
| Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games | ||
| Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home | ||
| Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home | ||
| Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Vegas | ||
| Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vegas | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 6 games when playing Vegas | ||