Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Washington Capitals, who are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, will host the conference leaders, the New Jersey Devils. The hosts have won only two games over the last three weeks, whereas the visitors have picked up points in almost every game in November.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes (4:1) but then lost again to the Florida Panthers (6:3). Surprisingly, the squad are one of the best teams in the NHL in terms of defensive play (45 goals conceded, third in the NHL), but since the end of October they have been making a lot of costly errors. They have lost seven of their last nine games and have conceded 31 of those 45 goals in that span. Even the Capitals’ goaltenders have not been able to save them: Logan Thompson has posted a save percentage above 91% only three times over this run, and Charlie Lindgren has not done it at all.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils slightly lost momentum after a run of eight straight wins. They have lost four of their last eight games, including an overtime defeat to the New York Islanders (2:3 OT). Even so, the team have gone beyond regulation in four consecutive games, with the outcome going their way three times. The Devils are not known for a powerful attack (58 goals scored, 8th in the league) or a particularly reliable defence (50 goals conceded, 12th in the league), but that has been enough for them to sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. They do not tend to deliver one-sided wins; they usually edge opponents by narrow margins, with only 3 of their 17 regular-season games decided by a three-goal margin.
Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils Prediction
The Capitals still have not found their rhythm and look very poor in defence, and the Devils are likely to take advantage of that and at the very least avoid defeat in regulation.
