The Calgary Flames begin their Eastern road swing on Monday night with a visit to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Calgary enters the game trying to stabilize things after a difficult stretch of results, while Washington aims to do the same to end their current losing streak. Here, I take a closer look at this inter-conference contest and make my Flames vs Capitals before the puck drops in D.C.
Our Flames vs Capitals Pick
Pick:
Confidence: 4 out of 5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Calgary Flames vs Washington Capitals
- Date & Time: Monday, March 9, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
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Washington enters this game with a solid 31-26-7 record and has been particularly reliable at home, posting a 19-11-3 record at Capital One Arena. But they have dropped three straight games going into this matchup. That losing streak has dropped the Caps seven points back of the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot and they need to turn things around quickly to get back into playoff contention.
Calgary has had a far more uneven season. The Flames sit at 25-30-7 overall and have struggled away from home with a 9-18-3 road record. Calgary did pick up a notable 5-4 victory over Carolina in its most recent outing, fueled by a two-goal performance from Joel Farabee. However, that win followed a rough stretch that included losses to Dallas and Ottawa, showing how inconsistent the Flames have been over the past few weeks.
Goaltending
Goaltending could play a major role in this game. Calgary has leaned heavily on Dustin Wolf, who is expected to get the start in this game. Wolf’s 3.00 GAA leaves plenty to be desired, though he is far from the biggest problem for the Flames this year.
Washington counters with Logan Thompson, who has delivered a .913 save percentage this year. Thompson has provided stability for the Capitals and has been particularly dependable at home, where Washington has limited scoring chances effectively.
Key skaters
- Alexander Ovechkin leads Washington with 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points.
- Pierre Luc Dubois has recorded four goals and two assists over the last 10 games.
- Joel Farabee leads the Flames with 15 goals after his recent multi-goal game.
- Nazem Kadri leads the Flames in points with 41.
Betting Trends and H2H
- Washington is 19-11-3 at home this season.
- Calgary is 9-18-3 on the road.
- The Capitals won the previous meeting this season by a score of 3-1.
Flames vs Capitals Model Projection
Score Projection:
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Final Thoughts
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