The Washington Capitals close out 2021 with a road contest against the Detroit Red Wings in the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Caps won the most recent matchup 2-0 on Nov. 11 at Little Caesars Arena. Washington has earned a point in 14 straight games against the Red Wings posting an 11-0-3 record dating back to Nov. 18, 2015.
In that span, Alex Ovechkin leads the team with 11 goals in 14 games, while Evgeny Kuznetsov leads the team with 12 assists. Tonight marks the final game of the 2021 calendar year. The Caps enter the game with a 55-21-12 record in 2021, good for the third most points in the NHL this year with 122.
The Caps have additionally scored the third most goals in 2021 at 299 and tied for the third highest penalty kill percentage (83.3 percent, 204 kills on 245 shorthanded opportunities). Washington holds the best record on the road in 2021 with 61 road points with a 28-10-5 record and are the only team with a road points percentage above .700 (currently .709).
Ovechkin currently has 46 goals in 77 games played in 2021 which is good for fifth most in the NHL, while his 1.17 points per game rate (90 points in 77 games) ranks seventh among players with at least 70 games played in 2021. John Carlson‘s 74 points (17 goals, 57 assists) rank third among defensemen in 2021.
The Capitals had 11 rookies play in at least one game in the year 2021, including nine who made their NHL debut this year. Additionally, goaltender Zach Fucale made his NHL debut on Nov. 11 against the Red Wings and stopped all 21 shots he faced to become the first goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in his debut.
The Caps got two goals in the first period from Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller. The win over the Red Wings avenged an overtime loss at Capital One Arena earlier in the year. Detroit is a respectable 15-13-3 for 22 points which is good for fourth in the Atlantic Division.
Date: Dec 31, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Little Caesars Arena
What Channel Is The Capitals Game On: NBC Sports Washington
Radio: 106.7 The Fan and Caps Radio 24/7
Betting Odds: The betting odds on WynnBET have the Capitals as -1.5 favorites on the road against the Red Wings. The moneyline is set with the Caps at -147 and the Red Wings at +127. The over/under for tonight’s game is 5.5.
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