#2 Power play connectivity
Before we jump into the power play numbers here are the betting odds for Tuesday's game. Per Caesars, the Capitals are 1.5 goal underdogs at home with +100 moneyline odds, while the Panthers are favored to win at -120. The over/under is set for 5.5 goals.
So far this season, Washington ranks 11th in the NHL in power play percentage with a success rate of 23 percent. The teams ahead of them are the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets.
Here's how the units are usually shaped up:
First unit: Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Connor McMichael, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson
Second unit: Aliaksei Protas, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ethen Frank, Alex Ovechkin, Jakob Chychrun
I'm wondering with Washington entering this game as an underdog if we'll see an adjustment to these power play units during the game Tuesday night. What would the units look like if Carlson and Chychrun switched places even if it was just once?
I can see why the Caps can be underdogs and not just becasue of the recent loss to the Jets. The Panthers are still good and not hungover from winning the Cup. They're tops in the Atlantic Division and these teams will see each other again in DC on March 22 and by then we'll really know how good both teams are.
Also what would Aliaksei Protas look like if he switched with Connor McMichael? Protas is alraedy shown he can score goals and with the defending Cup champs in town, the home team will need a spark somehow.