Nashville gets a day of rest after facing the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, a game in which Nashville scored a game-tying goal in the last second – only for it to be waived off due to goalie interference. November 14 was the last time they played against Washington, and the game ended well for the Preds. Left winger Kevin Fiala contributed one goal and one assist in the 6-3 victory. This was before Nashville’s epic late season push that propelled them to the top of the futures market (+350). Since February 19, they’ve won 17 of 23, and have all but locked down top spot in the NHL. Pekka Rinne (.927 SV%, 2.32 GAA) has been a big part of the success.
As for the Capitals, they’ve strung together 13 wins in their last 17 games and are coming off two days of rest following a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday. They may not have the same goaltending prowess as Nashville (2.90 GAA vs. 2.50 GAA), but they have left winger Alex Ovechkin to compensate. The Russian has amassed 84 points this season.
NHL Odds: Capitals Host Predators in Division Leaders Show Down
Two NHL heavyweights will do battle on Thursday when the Washington Capitals welcome the Nashville Predators in the second game of their season series. Nashville has secured top spot in their division and the Western Conference after winning 17 of 23 games. Only two teams in the league have a better goal differential than Nashville’s +54: the Boston Bruins (+56) and Tampa Bay Lightning (+55).
With a goal differential of +17, Washington has relied heavily on their offense to win games. Braden Holtby (2.99 GAA, .908 save percetage) has had an off season this year and was benched in favour of backup Philipp Grubauer late in the season. The Caps will need reliable goaltending if they hope to come away with a victory over Nashville.
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