Flames vs. Capitals Prediction
No team needed the All-Star break more than the Washington Capitals as they are mired in a seven-game losing streak. Will Washington break out of its slump following the time off tonight at home versus the Calgary Flames?
Game Snapshot
13 Calgary Flames at 14 Washington Capitals
Friday, February 1, 2019
Capital One Arena at 7:05PM ET
TV: ESPN+
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Flames are a -125 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Capitals are a +105 underdog, while the over-under is set at 6 goals. As of Friday morning, 53 percent of public bets are siding with host Washington. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Flames win in OT
Calgary won its final game before the All-Star break 10 days ago with a 3-2 overtime win at home over Carolina. Mikael Backlund scored the game-winner 15 seconds into overtime off assists from T.J. Brodie and Elias Lindholm. In the first period, Oliver Kylington gave the Flames a 1-0 advantage 1:58 in on assists courtesy of Garnet Hathaway and Rasmus Andersson. The Hurricanes tied it up before the first period ended, while in the second Mark Jankowski gave Calgary the lead back on a goal assisted by Backlund and Brodie. Carolina sent it to overtime on a goal with 44 seconds remaining. David Rittich made 33 saves on 35 shots in the winning effort.
Caps doubled up by Leafs
Washington lost 6-3 at Toronto nine days ago to head into the All-Star Break on a seven-game losing streak. The Capitals (27-17-6) took a 1-0 advantage with 1:13 left in the first period on a power play goal from Nicklas Backstrom assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. After the Maple Leafs evened it at 1-1 with 26 seconds left in the first period, Washington again took the lead in the second as Alex Ovechkin scored his 37th goal of the season. It was assisted by T.J. Oshie and Michal Kempny. Toronto proceeded to score the game’s next four goals to take a commanding 5-2 advantage. Matt Niskanen trimmed the deficit to two goals with under three minutes left on assists by Oshie and Backstrom. The Maple Leafs added another goal in the final minute on an empty net. Braden Holtby gave up five goals on 36 shots in the defeat.
NHL Betting Trends
Calgary
The Flames are 4-0 in their last four games versus the Metropolitan Division. Calgary is 19-7 in its last 26 games overall.
Washington
The Capitals are 36-17 in their last 53 Friday games. Washington is 1-4 in its last five games versus the Pacific Division.
Prediction:
Despite the seven-game losing streak, there is still no doubt a very good team somewhere buried within the Capitals. A lot of the issues have been with defense and goaltending. While Washington won’t ever be top-notch in those areas, Holtby is capable of getting hot as we all saw in the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Calgary was playing fantastic hockey before the break, but it is on the road here against a team desperate for a win. I’m betting on Washington to end its skid here.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON CAPITALS +105