The Washington Capitals will be on the brink of elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday needing a victory to survive against the Florida Panthers.
Can both teams make a quick start in the contest? Bookmaker Bovada has the odds at +130 for both teams to score in the first period. The odds are at -170 for both teams to not score in the period.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 12th, 1:30 P.M. (EST)
Both teams have scored in the opening 20 minutes in three of the five games so far as these sides boast some superb offensive talent. It’s been a fascinating series with Florida battling back from a 2-1 deficit to take a 3-2 lead, and they won Game 5 after coming back from a three-goal hole.
Carter Verhaeghe became only the second player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to factor on all of his team’s tallies in a three-goal comeback win on Wednesday posting two goals and three assists in a 5-3 victory.
Since Florida’s big guns Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Claude Giroux haven’t quite been at their best in the first round, Verhaeghe has become massively important for the team. The 26-year-old is among the best postseason scorers this year with 10 points.
Washington has been led by T.J. Oshie. The veteran had a very poor finish to the regular season, but he’s completely turned around his form in the playoffs and has fitted in very well on the top line in Tom Wilson’s absence.
Oshie tied a franchise record on Wednesday by scoring a power-play goal in a third straight playoff game and he’s already notched five goals in total, which matches his output from the previous three postseasons combined.
Washington has only two players who have scored multiple goals in the series in Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov and there should be more to come from the team. A lot of eyes will certainly be on Alex Ovechkin who’s been held to just one postseason goal only once before in his illustrious career.
The Capitals are a very experienced team and they shouldn’t be too shaken by the fact that they are facing elimination on Friday. The occasion might actually have a negative effect on the Panthers as they have been dominating throughout the season and a lot is expected from them.
The Panthers haven’t really enjoyed visiting D.C. previously as they have only won seven of their last 24 trips there. Improving their record would be huge for the team as Florida hasn’t gotten out of the first round since riding all the way to the Cup final in 1996.
