.jpg "Blackhawks-at-Capitals-(NBCSN)")
Two teams that were supposed to be Stanley Cup contenders meet on Wednesday night on NBCSN, as the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Washington Capitals. The Blackhawks have not played well of late, losing their last four games and they are without one of the top goaltenders in the league, as Corey Crawford is hurt, while the Capitals are 6-4 in their last ten games. Washington has dominated this series of late, winning six of the last seven meetings overall and they have won the last four in Washington.
This war on the ice will go down Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 8 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena. The game will be televised live on NBCSN.
We'll have NHL odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NHL Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Blackhawks will be without injured goaltender Crawford until at least Friday, so they will have to hope that backup Anton Forsberg plays well on Wednesday if they are to have any chance to win this game. Chicago is 6-8 on the road this season, with five games going over the total, eight going under, with one push. They are scoring 3 goals per game and giving up 2.7 per contest. Chicago has had plenty of time to get ready for this contest, as they have not played since losing at home on Sunday to Los Angeles.
Chicago played well defensively against the Kings on Sunday, but their power play struggled. "Our penalty kill is doing the job and the power play needs to step up," captain Jonathan Toews said after the loss to the Kings. "If we think of the way we want to play 5-on-5 -- getting the puck to the weak side of the ice, outmanning them, outworking them … all that's got to be there. We've got enough talent to make plays; doesn't matter who's on the ice. It's got to be better than that."
The Capitals are playing the fourth game of a five-game homestand. They were 9-5 in their first 14 home games, with five games going over the total and nine going under. Washington is scoring 2.9 goals per game and giving up 3.1 per contest. The defense would be worse if not for the play of goaltender Braden Holtby. Head coach Barry Trotz has said that Holtby has been the “best player on the ice” on more than one occasion this season. Holtby has a 2.63 goals against average this season.
Special Teams
The Blackhawks continue to struggle on the power play, as they rank just 28th in the league at 16.1%. They have been good on the penalty kill at 4th in the league at 84.5%. Washington is 12th in the league on the power play at just over 20% but they have struggled in penalty killing at about 78%.
Key Stat
These teams met twice last season and Washington won both games, winning 3-2 in Chicago and 6-0 in Washington. The Capitals have won six of the last seven meetings, with four games going under, one going under, with two pushes. The Capitals have won the last four at home in this series, with five of the last seven going over the total.
Free NHL Picks
How much trust do you put in Chicago without Crawford in goal? Forsberg played pretty well against the Kings, but he is not in the class of Crawford and unless the Blackhawks play a great game, I can’t see them winning in Washington. The Capitals have been a good home team this season and there is no question they have the edge in goal with Holtby against Forsberg. The Capitals have also done well in this series lately against the Blackhawks. I think Chicago will eventually turn the corner and start playing better, but it probably won’t come until Crawford returns. I will lay the price and take the Capitals on Wednesday night.
NHL Odds: Capitals 4, Blackhawks 2
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
