The game in Washington brings together two teams who are going through a difficult stretch of the season. The Washington Capitals and the Calgary Flames have lost their consistency and are increasingly playing cautiously, lowering the tempo after an active start. At Capital One Arena this usually leads to positional hockey with plenty of battles along the boards and fewer dangerous chances.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals won two games after the break in the schedule but then lost three in a row. In their most recent game against the Boston Bruins (1:3) they could not apply sustained pressure: the opponents controlled the match in terms of shots, while the Capitals took 12 penalty minutes and failed in the third period. At home they are still scoring more than three goals per game, but their overall scoring output has clearly declined. After John Carlson's departure some of the attacking burden has shifted to defenceman Jacob Chychrun. In goal Logan Thompson is expected to start, with an average of 2.41 goals conceded per game, which remains one of the main factors behind the hosts' stability.
Calgary Flames
The visitors have been even more inconsistent. They recently ended a run of four consecutive defeats with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes (5:4), although that game was largely influenced by the opponents' fatigue. Following the trade of Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau's injury, the attacking unit has become less productive. Away from home they score just over two goals per game and more often build their play through defence. Dustin Wolf is expected in goal with an average of around 3.00 goals conceded, and it is the goaltender's performance that often sets the tempo of their games.
Washington Capitals vs Calgary Flames Prediction
Both teams usually start games actively but then switch to more cautious hockey. With the current personnel changes, the visitors' attack looks limited, while the hosts are increasingly relying on game control and their goaltender. Under these conditions the match has a high chance of developing into a tight defensive contest with few scoring chances.
