This is suddenly a very big game in the metropolitan division.
For a while now the Washington Capitals and Capitals fans have been looking in the rear view mirror looking out for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
For a short time the Pens even took over first place from the Capitals. Seemingly, in the blink of an eye the Penguins have fallen behind and now you’re fighting off another Pennsylvania team, the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here are a few things to watch out for during Capitals vs Flyers.
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Flyers Flying High
The Flyers have lost just five games in regulation since the 8th of January and they’ve lost a total of seven games since January 7th. Since then the Flyers are 16-5-2, good for 34 points. That’s only behind the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning who both have 35 points in that time.
The Flyers have also beaten the Caps twice in this hot streak, they won 7-2 on February 8th and 3-2 on the 8th of January.
The Capitals on the other hand have been a pretty average team. Since then the Caps are 11-10-1. There are eleven teams who have more points than Washington in that time. The only teams to have fewer points than the Caps in that time frame are Chicago, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Buffalo, Anaheim Arizona, LA, San Jose and Detroit.
Those aren’t exactly teams you want to lump yourself in with these days. Will the Flyers stay hot, and can the Capitals get hot again? As of right now, this is a game of two teams going the opposite way for the last two months.
Expect Goals?
Both of these teams can score, and both can score since the Flyers got hot in early January. Since the 7th the Flyers have the highest goals for per game at 3.74. The next highest is the Edmonton Oilers at 3.57.
The Capitals have been pretty good at scoring goals all season long. Washington has scored 222 goals this season, or 3.41 goals a game. Those 222 goals are behind only Toronto at 232 and Tampa Bay at 228.
The Flyers have been a pretty good defensive team recently though. Since the 7th they’ve allowed 2.65 goals per game. That’s the fifth best GAA in that time frame. The Capitals allow 3.18 goals a game in the same period. That ranks 26th in the NHL.
There is plenty of firepower on both of these teams. Now that I’m telling you both of these teams can score goals, you know this will be a 2-1 thriller. But if this game ends up 6-5 it wouldn’t be surprising at all.
Flyers Starting The Wrong Goalie?
Brian Elliott will get the nod for the Flyers on Wednesday night. He starts over Carter Hart who has been better (at least stats wise) since the Flyers took off right after the new year. Since then Elliott is 6-2-2, has a 2.63 GAA and a .898 save percentage. Hart is 9-2-0, has a 2.27 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
Elliot is 9-7-0 against the Capitals in his career with a 3.16 GAA and a .893 save percentage. Less than stellar. Hart on the other hand, while a much smaller sample size is 1-1-1, has a 2.29 GAA and a .926 save percentage vs the Capitals.
Holtby will go for the Capitals. Holtby has not had a very good season. However, since the 10th of February his stats look much better with a 2.68 GAA and a .918 save percentage. His GAA is higher than I’d like, but his save percentage is pretty good. Holtby is 13-6-8 vs the Flyers and has a 2.60 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
Looking at the stats alone, it would seem starting Hart would be the smarter choice for the Flyers. Did the Capitals catch a break in facing Elliott?
Top Scorers To Watch
We’ll once again be taking stats from when the Flyers got hot in early January. The top scorers for the Flyers since then are Konecny with 11 goals and 24 points, Couturier with 24 points, Giroux with 19 points, Voracek with 19 points and van Riemsdyk with 17 points. We’ll throw out an honorable mention to Kevin Hayes who has 10 goals and 16 points. All of these guys have played 23 games since the 7th.
The Capitals top scorers since then are, Ovechkin with 21 goals and 23 points, Carlson with 19 assists and 21 points, Backstrom with 16 assists and 19 points, Vrana with 17 points and Oshie with 16 points. All but Ovechkin played 22 games since then, Ovechkin missed a game due to the all-star game suspension.
Can the Caps down the Flyers? Here’s how to find out:
Date: March 4, 2020
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena
TV Broadcast: NBCSN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Live Streaming: ESPN+ has a free 7-day trial that includes live streaming for this game on all your smart devices! Besides NHL games, ESPN+ features a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, Serie A, FA Cup, and EFL. Get in on the action with Live UFC Fight Nights, 30+ Top Rank Boxing cards, Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open.