The Washington Capitals (36-11-8) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins (23-25-9) on Saturday, February 22nd. This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and televised on ABC. The Penguins 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 3:00 ET.

Capitals vs Penguins

The Washington Capitals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Washington fell to 36-11-8 after a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. The Capitals had a 2-1 lead after the first period, but Carolina scored three unanswered goals to secure the win. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined score matched that number. Washington, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover.

All of Washington’s scoring came in the first period. Alex Ovechkin tied the game at 1-1 with a goal at 19:16, and Brandon Duhaime gave the Capitals the lead with just 11 seconds left in the period. The Hurricanes responded with goals in the second and third periods to seal the victory.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-1 win over the Canadiens, the Penguins moved to 23-25-9 this season. Pittsburgh covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 4 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

Sidney Crosby scored twice for the Penguins, including a goal at 4:03 in the first period. Montreal cut the lead to 2-1 in the third period, but Blake Lizotte’s empty-net goal at 19:15 sealed the victory.

Washington Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense managed just two goals on 21 shots in their 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes. Alex Ovechkin netted his 7th goal of the season, coming on a power play, while Brandon Duhaime added his 2nd goal of the year. The Capitals recorded 15 giveaways in the game.

Both of Washington’s goals came in the first period, with Duhaime scoring at 19:49 and Ovechkin finding the net at 19:16. John Carlson picked up his 7th assist on Ovechkin’s goal, and Dylan Strome earned his 13th assist.

Penguins Offense Breakdown

Sidney Crosby led the way for the Penguins with two goals on three shots in their 3-1 win over the Canadiens. He opened the scoring at 4:03 in the first period and added his second, a power-play goal, at 1:20 in the second period. Blake Lizotte netted his second goal of the season, an empty-netter with 45 seconds left in the game.

The Penguins took 24 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his third assist of the season on Lizotte’s empty-netter, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s second goal.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals struggled after taking a 2-1 lead, allowing three unanswered goals—two in the second period and one more in the third. Despite Charlie Lindgren’s 41 saves and a 93.2% save percentage, Washington’s defense couldn’t hold up, with the Hurricanes scoring at 2:29 and 5:26 of the second period and adding an empty-netter late in the third.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Defensively, the Penguins will look to carry over their performance from their previous game, where they allowed just 1 goal to the Canadiens. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, posting a 96.2% save percentage. The defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 19 hits. The only goal they allowed came at the 5:32 mark of the 3rd period.

Capitals vs Penguins Trends

• In their last five road games, Washington has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2 . The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Pittsburgh has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Penguins have a straight up record of 1-2 and an puck line mark of 3-0.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Washington has an puck line mark of 4-6 while going 6-4 straight up.

Capitals vs Penguins Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Penguins to secure a victory over the Capitals at home. With the moneyline currently set at +137, I’m locking in my bet on the Penguins straight-up.

Our projections have the Penguins pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Penguins, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 5.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.