Canucks vs. Capitals (Oct. 17)

Canucks vs Capitals odds

Canucks odds	+115
capitals odds	-140
over/under	6 (-120/+100)
time	7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
tv set	city
Odds by BetMGM. Get the latest NHL odds here.

The Vancouver Canucks got off to a rough start in their first two games. First they stripped Edmonton of his 3–0 lead before losing 5–3 and then the Flyers. The Canucks will come out tonight and be on the winning line for the first time this year.

It doesn’t get much easier for Washington. After starting the season with two straight losses to Boston and Toronto, the Capitals earned their first win against Montreal.

Will the Canucks finally be on the winning line? Or will the Capitals pick up where they left off, leaving a slow start in the back view?

Canucks Attractive Season Case

I am very interested in seeing the Canucks this season. They just missed the playoffs by five points, and this team has been happy to join Bruce Boudreau’s system since joining mid-season last year.

JT Miller, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Captain Bo Horvat and many more. In addition to them, Ilya Mikheev and Andrei Kuzmenko were also brought in to improve the front line.

Although the start was slow, I was encouraged by the strength of the Canucks. So far this season they have scored 56.91 xGF% (expected goals) of him, but they are not likely to be very dangerous.

They’ve gone 4-9 in penalty kills and 1-13 in power plays in two games, so they really need to do better with a special team. Their start could have been much better if the team had won back-to-back ducks.

Goaltending is pretty stony. Thatcher Demko has proven himself to be the star of the blue paint over the past few years, and last year was a great one. The San Diego native posted a solid .915 SV% and a +10.5 GSAx (more goals than expected).

He struggled in Edmonton and did his best in Philadelphia, so it will be interesting to see if he can get over the hump against an injured but talented Capitals team.

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Capital letters that are difficult to understand

Washington has been in a slump this season, playing without Nick Backstrom, Tom Wilson and Karl Hegelin. One thing he definitely can’t do is count ‘Caps out’.

While Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson and TJ Osier are always tough to play against, they’re still loaded as Alex Ovechkin gets closer and closer to his all-time scoring record.

Even the strength play wasn’t kind to Caps as usual. They currently have the ninth-worst expected goal percentage of 42.29 xGF%, but are pretty decent when it comes to creating high-risk chances.

Surprisingly, the Capitals only converted once on a power play in three games. Their PP has always been lethal as Ovechkin looms over with his one-timer.

The Capitals stepped up their goaltending situation by adding Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kemper. Goaltending seemed like a weak spot for Caps, so we did a complete overhaul and added Charlie Lindgren as Kuemper’s backup.

Kemper is used to rough starts and had a disappointing start to last season. In his two starts this year, he posted .902 SV% and -0.6 GSAx. Given his recent successes over the past few years, there’s no reason to worry in the long run, but in the short term, Kuemper is at risk of being relied upon.

Canucks vs. Capitals Pick

When I watch this game, I notice one thing: Special Teams. Vancouver proved they weren’t ready to put a stop to their talented power play with a painful 7.7% penalties. Washington may be less proselytizing, but it is a constant threat to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Carlson.

BetMGM has odds in favor of Capitals. I like the Canucks a lot, but I think they have a lot to figure out before I even consider endorsing them. You can regret the mistakes you made.

Choose: Capital ML (-140)