Andrei Svechnikov leads the Canes in shots, and he'll get back to his roots tonight after a quiet Game 2.
NHL
The Washington Capitals had a very strong bounce-back performance in Game 2 after falling on home ice in Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Andrei Svechnikov had a quiet outing, but my Capitals vs. Hurricanes predictions expect him to be much more active tonight.
Find out why in my NHL picks for May 10.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been the better team through two games, but this series feels relatively even. Both teams have struggled to score — which wasn’t expected since they each have many offensively gifted players — but the blue lines and respective goaltenders have been slightly better than anticipated.
Carolina has outshot the Washington Capitals in both games, which plays into its style, but that may escalate as this series transitions back to Raleigh. At home, the Canes are much stronger offensively. They’re averaging 3.80 goals per game in their building while generating 31.23 shots.
This series will remain tight like we saw in the first two games, but the Canes being able to steal one on the road is huge. Aho, Jarvis, and Svechnikov are much better at home than on the road, and I expect those three to have a big game tonight to give Carolina a 2-1 series lead.
My Capitals vs Hurricanes pick: Andrei Svechnikov Over 2.5 shots (-145 at Sports Interaction)
Andrei Svechnikov has quietly been one of the playoffs best players. This season, Svechnikov was averaging 2.50 shots on goal per game, but through the first seven games of the postseason, he has already tallied 26 through seven outings. The player with the second-most shots only has 19, Jaccob Slavin.
Svechnikov was way too quiet in Game 2; he didn’t put up any points, was -1, and only had one shot in the game. You have to think he has a much better Game 3 after a performance like that.
Svech has put up at least three shots in four of the seven games this postseason, and considering the Canes outshot the Capitals in both games on the road, they certainly have the edge in that department on home ice.
The Capitals allow 30.5 shots against per game, which is the third-most of the remaining teams left in the playoffs. I expect the Canes to control the play for most of this game, leading to plenty of shots for the winger.
Andrei Svechnikov Over 2.5 shots
Hurricanes moneyline
Under 5.5
The Hurricanes were a perfect 3-0 on home ice in the first round, and they’re an extremely tough team to beat at home. Andersen has been almost just as good as Thompson, so I don’t give much of a goaltending edge to the Capitals, and Andersen’s numbers are even better at home.
Both teams in this series are averaging two goals or less; the Capitals are scoring 2.00 goals per game, while the Hurricanes are averaging 1.50. Thompson and Andersen are the two best goalies in the playoffs in terms of goals saved above expected. Thompson leads the postseason with a +10.5 GSAx, while Andersen has a +6.6 GSAx.
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Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction
Andrei Svechnikov averages 2.50 shots per game. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Hurricanes.
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Jonny Lazarus has loved hockey for as long as he can remember. After his Division I playing career at UMass-Amherst and Mercyhurst University came to an end in 2020, he transitioned from being a player to working in the media. He might be young in his career, but he has made appearances in numerous places like the NHL, and Bleacher Report, and this season he will be doing color commentary for a selection of UMass-Amherst hockey games.
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