The start of a five game road swing for the Caps, and the start of two straight day games which as you know, the Caps hate…. and play really terribly in. But, the good news is that it’s New Jersey for the weekend, a series in which the Caps need to, and should, collect all four points against a struggling team. Find you rhythm, get some line combos you like over the roady, and climb the standings in the east. But also most importantly, win me my bets, which is what we’re gonna touch on in the pregame story lines since those whining bitches over at RMNB wanna tweet and complain about how harmful and bad and blah blah blah gambling is. Sack up you losers.
Pregame Story Lines
Back to what we were talking about above there with having to beat the Devils, a sluggish team that in no way matches up with us. Do they not let up a ton of 5v5 goals? Well, yeah read the tweet above, but we also don’t expect them to really put up much in terms of points today. I know I know, we snuck out a win last go around with these guys, but coming off game the night before and a great comeback effort, I see the Caps jumping out early and often today and that’s why we’re playing the puck line.
Coachs Bet: WSH -1.5 at +180
Here’s some good news to bless you timeline from our guy Tarik El-Bashir earlier this morning, and it’s confirming that the Captain will be on the ice today in New Jersey. Day off yesterday, little maintenance, rest, whatever you wanna call it, but the big man took the day off and I love that coming into this one. At some point this season, Ovi’s gonna go on a run like he always does. I’m talking the 6 goals in 3 games type of ordeal. And looking at the scoring leaderboard, he’s falling behind, so you gotta think that’s gonna get him going at some point to prove he’s still up there with the elite goal scorers in the league. Add that in with the rest day and 31 goals in 58 games vs the Devils all time, that’s got us feelin’ hot about an Ovi tuck today.
Coaches Bet: Parlay Ovi over 0.5 goals & WSH ML at +275
Some other side news, and as a surprise to nobody, it’ll be Vanecek in the net again today for the road team. I don’t hate it, he’s been tightening a lot of his game up and it’s showing with the lack of GAA over the the last few. Plus, just don’t put nervous Craig Anderson in net please. Samsonov is back on the taxi squad for the Caps, and one would thing he would get into a game soon, but honestly who the hell knows with Lavs. We’ve joked about it a ton, but on a real note, holy shit let’s get this guy some ice time here soon before we totally run VV into the ground. I honestly don’t understand Lavs approach to this situation, so I guess only time will tell as to when we finally see our four wheeler driving, vodka drinkin’, Russian man child of a tendy finally put the red white and blue back on.
BUT WAIT… there’s more…
First Period
Caps would get on the board (early, as I projected above, thank you) off a beautiful break out, entry, and tuck by the 4th line. Starts with Orlov in our own zone, shoves it up to Hags who makes a bump to Schultz on the half wall who carries it in with speed and throws a beautiful centering pass to Hathaway and it’s 1-0 Caps and we’re off and runnin’.
Caps would get on the board (often, as I projected above, thank you) thanks to a hell of a first period where it seemed like line after line was buzzing and sustaining o zone pressure shift after shift. This Dillon goal was seemingly after a 2 min shift where the Caps were able to fire shot after shot, collect the rebound, up to the point and run it all back again. This one Get’s to Carlson, over to Dillon, and he fires it in on what was originally though to be a Sprong deflection, but ended up just being a great screen for a Dilly tuck. EDIT: It was a Sprong tuck
Caps would get on the board (often, as I projected above, thank you) and COME ON LITERALLY EVERYONE BUT OVI is scoring today. This line had been getting some quality chances all period and they come down the Devils throat 3 on 1 on this rush with Sheary on the top, Eller to this right, and Ovi wide open to the left for a clapper. Obviously, the defender and back checker cheated to Ovi because who wouldn’t, working him as a decoy and then Eller getting the feed and finding the back of the net for a 3-0 lead and oh boy… please don’t blow this.
Sheary would take a trip late in the period and the Devils would only need seven seconds to get one in as Nico Hischier would convert on the PP to make it 3-1.
Second Period
Andddddd now we have a game, and our bets are not in the money thanks to this team deciding to teeter on the fence of blowing a 3-1 lead. Devils, roughly seven min into the period, catch the Caps scrambling in front and take advantage of Vanny on his back and make it a one goal game off a Zacha tuck assisted by Hischier and this is exactly how Caps fans want to be feeling on this fine Saturday afternoon.
There it is, all the action we got to see in the second period. The bets? Not looking great. The Caps? Let’s hope the third is just a total 180 from that sloppy 20 there in the middle frame. Get a quick one in the third, (get the puck to Ovi) and win the damn game and get these important 2 points.
Third Period
Devils came out buzzin and really took it to us heavy in the first five min of the period. Absolutely what you don’t want to see from the Caps as a few of these chances have been high danger and could have easily been a tied game with a lot of hockey left. There’s been a bit of line shuffling (none of which have benefited Ovi) and what we’ve seen most is as double shifted Osh, at times with Nicky and Tom. And guess what? We still couldn’t get anything going.
But the thing about hockey is that one shot can make a hell of a difference in a game, and that would prove to be true as Vrana finds himself on a breakaway and snaps it past Blackwood to give the Caps a much needed (for the win and for bets) two goal lead with under eight to go in the game.
Dowd with the empty netter and the Caps win it, 5-2. Cash in on the puck line -1.5, and shoutout to Blake on the final score prediction and the big bank bet baby, CASH IT IN!
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