Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers will face each other in Game 4 of the NHL 2021-22 playoffs on Monday evening. The home side eyes another win that could take them just one step away from the conference semi-finals. The visitors look forward to bouncing back and moving the series home in a tie.
Washington made good use of playing on the home ice last time to grab the advantage in this series. The hosts want to pick up where they left off and celebrate again. On the other hand, Florida could be in real trouble if they lose this match. The away side hopes to book a win on the road to even the things and grab the home-ice advantage back.
Washington Capitals – Will they beat their rivals again?
The Capitals enjoy a 2-1 lead in this series, and they have a chance to increase it in front of their fans. Despite the opponents outplaying them in Game 2, they managed to bounce back and celebrate a convincing 6-1 victory. Washington was 1-0 down at the very start of the game, but they turned around the result in the second period. They were very confident in the last third, scoring three goals in that period. Although the Caps won six faceoffs less, they had one shot more than their rivals and six penalty minutes less.
Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have been the most productive skaters in the Capitals’ offense, with four points each. Anthony Mantha has logged three assists in the post-season, while John Carlson has contributed to Washington’s offense with three pts as well. Lars Eller, T.J. Oshie, and Marcus Johansson managed to chip in with two points each in the playoffs. Regarding the goaltending, Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov split their time in this series. Samsonov was more successful, having a .979 save percentage and allowing only 0.75 goals per contest.
Expected Line-Up: Ilya Samsonov, Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson, Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Evgeny Kuznetsov
with best odds
Florida Panthers – Can they even the things?
Although they had the home-ice advantage in this tie, the Panthers are 2-1 behind. They surprisingly opened the series with a home defeat but managed to bounce back in the next game. However, they suffered a heavy 6-1 loss in the most recent clash despite taking the lead early in the game. Florida had 30 shots in that encounter, but they found the back of the net only once. On the other hand, the Panthers had six penalty minutes more than their opponents. The visitors need a win in this encounter to avoid getting into big trouble ahead of Game 5.
Carter Verhaeghe has produced the most in the Panthers’ offense during the playoffs, scoring a goal and logging a pair of assists. Radko Gudas, Anthony Duclair, and Brandon Montour have two assists each, while four more players chipped in with two pts as well. On the other hand, Sergei Bobrovsky has been Florida’s first-choice goalie in the post-season. He made three appearances, followed by a .904 save percentage and 3.03 goals conceded per match.
Expected Line-Up: Sergei Bobrovsky, MacKenzie Weegar, Brandon Montour, Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe
Expert Pick #1 – Capitals to win @+170
Although the bookies continue favoring the visitors, I see Washington as an experienced team capable enough to grab a 3-1 lead in this series. The value is on the Capitals and the plus money odds on the home ice, and I’ll take them as my first pick for this matchup.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 6.5 @-130
Their latest match went over a 6.5 margin, mostly thanks to the Caps, who scored six in Game 3. On the other hand, Florida’s explosive offense still hasn’t shown its potential in the playoffs, and I see this game producing at least seven goals. Give me the Over as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Capitals to win & Both to Score @+245
Neither team should keep its net intact in this encounter, and if we combine this pick with the Capitals’ win, we can count on generous profits. I’ll take my chances to back this one as my second alternative at a smaller stake than the first two picks.
