Top 3 keys to victory for the Capitals against Maple Leafs

The Washington Capitals go for four wins in a row tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before we look at the top 3 keys to victory, here's how to watch this epic clash.

• Date: 3/20/24
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Capital One Arena
• What Channel Is Capitals Game On: TNT and MAX
• Radio: 106.7 The Fan and Caps Radio 24/7
• Betting Odds: The Maple Leafs vs. Capitals betting odds on Caesars have the Caps as 1.5 point underdogs at home. The Caps have +118 moneyline odds, while the Leafs are the favorite at -140. The total for the game is set at an over/under of 6.5 goals.
• Live Streaming: fuboTV has live NHL games on ESPN which you can stream from your phone, television, and all your favorite devices. This is a service that broadcasts live TV over the internet, no cable is required. Watch your favorite teams, network shows, news, and movies on 100+ channels. Plus on-demand entertainment including full TV series. fuboTV is currently available in the United States, Canada, and Spain.
• Reddit: Reddit can sometimes have streams of live NHL games but make sure they are legal. The official NHL Subreddit is located at https://www.reddit.com/r/nhl/.

#3 Win the scoring battle at five on five

Sounds simple, right? Not against a team like Toronto. The Caps went from second last in the league to 29th in the league in goals scored but while it's an improvement, the Leafs are ranked fourth in that category. Might be safe to bet the over no matter whos in goal.

#2 Defense has to lock down

Defense wins championships and defense also wins hockey games. In order to stop a team like the Maple Leafs, who house Auston Matthews, the Caps defense needs to be on their toes no matter whos in net but my hunch is Charlie Lindgren since he's been the hot hand.

Per the game notes, the Capitals have allowed just four goals over their last three games which averages out to 1.33 goals allowed per game. It marks the fourth instance this season that the Caps have allowed two or fewer goals in three or more consecutive games.

The Caps have done this in stretches in their hot November as well as right before Christmas and in mid January. This season Washington ranks eigthth in the NHL in blocked shots with 1,150 and have blocked 27.3 percent of shot attempts, which is the sixth highest percentage in the NHL per Sportlogiq.

During the last two games the Capitals have killed off all four opposing power play opportunities. They get a test against Toronto who are ranked fifth in the power play with a 26.2 percent power play percentage.