The Vancouver Canucks (18-13-9) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (26-11-4) on Wednesday, January 8th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on ESPN+. The Canucks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Capitals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hurricanes. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.

Canucks vs Capitals

The Vancouver Canucks Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-2 win over the Sharks, the Canucks improved to 18-13-9. Vancouver was favored on the puck line, but failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 5 goals fell short of that mark.

Vancouver trailed 1-0 before Pius Suter tied it up in the second period. Jake DeBrusk gave the Canucks the lead in the third, but the Sharks responded to make it 2-2. Suter scored again, with just 26 seconds left, to secure the win.

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Capitals fell to 26-11-4 after a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. Washington’s defense struggled, allowing 44 shots on goal. The Capitals trailed early, as Carolina scored at 5:59 in the first period, but Washington responded with two goals in the first, taking a 2-1 lead.

Washington was the underdog on the puck line, and the total for the game was set at 6 goals, resulting in a push. The Hurricanes scored three unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to secure the win.

Vancouver Offense Breakdown

Pius Suter led the Canucks’ offense with two goals, bringing his season total to four. He scored at 5:19 in the second period and netted the game-winner with just 26 seconds left. Jake DeBrusk added his first goal of the season at 4:22 in the third period.

Vancouver took 27 shots on goal but was held scoreless in the first period. They recorded 25 giveaways and finished with six assists, including Carson Soucy’s first of the season on Suter’s late goal.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense was held to just two goals in their 4-2 loss to Carolina. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal. The Capitals took 21 shots on goal but were hindered by 15 giveaways.

After Ovechkin’s goal at 19:16 in the first period, Duhaime followed up with another at 19:49. However, the Capitals were unable to score in the second and third periods.

Vancouver Team Defense

Vancouver’s defense will look to improve after allowing the first goal at 2:37 into the 2nd period and another at 18:43 in the 3rd. Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, and the defense contributed 5 takeaways and 24 hits.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals will look to bounce back after allowing the final three goals in their last game against the Hurricanes. They had taken a 2-1 lead late in the first period, but their defense gave up two goals in the second and one more in the third. The final goal was an empty-netter with just 9 seconds left. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves with a 93.2% save percentage, while the defense added 2 takeaways and 20 hits.

Canucks vs Capitals Trends

• Through their last three road games, Vancouver has an puck line record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Washington has played well in their previous five home games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 4-1.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Capitals have an puck line record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Canucks have gone 1-9 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.

Canucks vs Capitals Prediction

For a moneyline bet, we have the Capitals as the likely winner. However, with the current odds at -176, I’d suggest considering a puck line bet, as our predictions have the Capitals winning by more than one goal.

When making a puck line pick, we’re backing the Capitals to win and cover. Watch for the Capitals to win this game by multiple goals over the Canucks.

With an over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.