Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
At the start of the season, the Carolina Hurricanes were widely viewed as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Yet as April begins, it's the Washington Capitals who lead the way, holding an 11-point advantage over the Hurricanes.
Carolina Hurricanes
The schedule has favoured the Hurricanes heading into this clash — they come into this one fresh and rested, while the Capitals will be playing for the second time in as many days. That’s significant, especially considering how dominant the Hurricanes have been on home ice this season: just nine regulation defeats all year (best in the East) and only one loss in their last eight home games. That one defeat was something of an anomaly — a 1:3 result against the Nashville Predators in which Juuse Saros stood on his head. The Hurricanes massively outshot the Predators (35-16) and led (16-5) in high-danger chances. That sort of performance usually gets rewarded, and on most nights at PNC Arena, it has been.
Washington Capitals
Expecting a similar goaltending display from Logan Thompson might be overly optimistic. He’s not been in top form lately, posting an .883 save percentage through March. In the recent 5:8 defeat to the Buffalo Sabres, Thompson let in 7 goals on just 15 shots on target. The Capitals have also struggled on the road against playoff-level opposition. Over the past couple of months, they've lost to the Minnesota Wild, the Winnipeg Jets, the Los Angeles Kings and even the Ottawa Senators away from home.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals Prediction
The last time the Washington Capitals visited Raleigh, they were outplayed across the board — losing 2:4 while being outshot 45-21 and managing just 33.6 xGF%. That day, the Carolina Hurricanes were widely expected to win. Now, despite maintaining the same home dominance and having a rest advantage, their chances are viewed as much less certain
