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The Washington Capitals will open their season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who spectacularly lost their first game on Wednesday. It's time to continue our ice-cold NHL betting series with a Capitals-Maple Leafs prediction and pick.
The Capitals finished 44-26-12 last year and endured their fourth straight first-round exit. They were 4-9 in overtime and 5-3 in the shootout period. Additionally, they averaged 3.29 goals per game, which pit them 10th in the league. The Caps also allowed 2.95 goals per game, with them at 13th. Surprisingly, their special teams took a hit. The Capitals converted 18.8 percent of their power-play chances, which put them 23rd in the league. Conversely, they stopped 80.4 percent of their penalties, which was 12th in the league.
The Leafs started their season on Wednesday with a 4-3 loss to the Canadiens. Michael Bunting scored the first goal of the season for the Leafs. Then, Cole Caufield countered with a game-tying goal for the Habs in the second period. The Leafs retook the lead on a Denis Malgin goal. Next, Caufield struck again, tying it up before the third. Sean Monahan gave Montreal the lead in the third before William Nylander responded with the game-tying score a minute later. Ultimately, the Habs found the back of the net with 19 seconds left as Josh Anderson sailed one past goalie Matt Murray to seal the deal.
Darcy Kuemper will make his Capitals debut tonight. Recently, he helped lead the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship. Kuemper went 37-12-4 with the Avs last season. Additionally, he posted a .921 save percentage with a 2.54 goals-against average. Kuemper has a 2.43 goals-against average over five seasons.
Ilya Samsonov will make his Maple Leafs' debut against his former team, taking on the Capitals in net for Toronto. Unfortunately, it was not a good year for Samsonov, going 23-12-5 with an .896 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average.
Here are the Capitals-Maple Leafs NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Capitals-Maple Leafs Odds
Washington Capitals: +1.5 (-154)
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+126)
Over: 7 (+116)
Under: 7 (-144)
Why The Capitals Could Cover The Spread
The Capitals still have one of the best snipers of all time, even if he is getting closer to the end. Alexander Ovechkin is a scoring maven and continued the trend last year, scoring 50 goals with 40 assists. Significantly, he hammered 16 power-play goals and 29 total points on the extra-man attack. Evgeny Kuznetsov returns for another season. Last year, he scored 24 goals and 58 assists. Now, he hopes to keep the pace up and keep the Caps contending. Defenseman John Carlson once again lit the league up, scoring 17 goals and 54 assists a season ago. Ultimately, his role is to solidify the blueline, and he has done it.
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The Capitals will be without Tom Wilson, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and Nicklas Backstrom, who is recovering from hip surgery. Also, Carl Hagelin is dealing with an unspecified injury and will not start the season. The Caps brought in Dylan Strome and Connor Brown to possibly help offset those voids. Can these two fill the spots efficiently?
The Capitals will cover the spread if they can jump to an early lead. Additionally, Carlson must do more to solidify the defensive attack, and the Caps must prevent the big four from hurting them.
Why The Maple Leafs Could Cover The Spread
Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, John Tavares, and Nylander are the big four. Tavares supplied two assists, Marner added one, and Nylander planted a goal. However, Matthews did not register a point, firing five times at the net. Matthews will look to get his first point of the season, coming off another great year where he scored 60 goals and 46 assists, along with 16 power-play goals. Ultimately, defensive breakdowns were the biggest culprit last season, and it happened again last night.
The Leafs went 0 for 4 on the power play last night, and it is something they must correct. Likewise, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares are too talented not to score on a power play that was the best in the league a year ago. Last night, the most significant difference between the Leafs and the Habs was the block shots. Moreover, the Leafs blocked eight fewer shots, which could have proved to be the difference in the game.
The Leafs will cover the spread if their four core players can deliver. Additionally, they will need solid defense in front of Samsonov as he makes his Toronto debut.
Final Capitals-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick
The Caps are hurting right now and don't have the players to deal with an angry Maple Leafs team. The Leafs will be motivated to make up for last night's mess. Additionally, Samsonov will want to play his best against his former team, giving him extra incentive.
Final Capitals-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+126)
