Washington Capitals - Carolina Hurricanes predictions and free betting tips [06/01/2024]

The Washington Capitals will play host to the Carolina Hurricanes in regular NHL championship.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals, who have been facing a slew of difficulties in recent matches, have lost 5 out of the last 6 games and currently sit in 31st place in the NHL in terms of attacking index, with an aggregate tally of 85 goals. Following a 3:6 defeat to the New Jersey Devils and other unsuccessful games, the team is struggling to consistently maintain their attack. Despite starting off strong against Pittsburgh, the Capitals were unable to score for the remaining 40 minutes, underlining the need for improvement in the attacking sphere. Coach Spencer Carbery has voiced concerns regarding these issues, emphasising the need to create and capitalise on more opportunities.

Veteran Max Pacioretty made his debut for the Capitals after recovering from an injury, as did former Carolina defenceman Ethan Bear, who recently signed a two-year contract. Alex Ovechkin, who is looking to break Gretzky's record, is in one of the weakest seasons of his career with 23 points, comprising 8 goals and 16 assists. Other key players like Tom Wilson, John Carlson, and Evgeny Kuznetsov are also posting inconsistent results. The team's goalkeepers, including Darcy Kuemper, Charlie Lindgren, and Hunter Shepard show inconsistent numbers, affecting the team's overall effectiveness. Tom Wilson broke his eight-match drought by scoring his 11th goal of the season, but the team still requires improvement in their attack for better success chances in the remainder of the season.

Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes are posting impressive results, securing four consecutive victories and scoring at least one point in 10 out of their last 11 games. The team asserted itself in recent matches against New York, Nashville, Montreal, and Toronto, winning each match and continuing their successful run. Petr Kochetkov and Raanta, the latter returning from the lower leagues, have been playing in goal for Carolina and have both shown to be in outstanding form. The Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour highly ranks Raanta's efforts and stresses the importance of the goaltender position to the team's success. Up front, the team is led by Sebastian Aho with 15 goals and 42 points while Andrei Svechnikov, back from injury, is in red-hot form with 8 goals and 15 assists. Dmitri Orlov also contributes to the team's defence and supports their attack, posting 1 goal and 12 assists in 38 matches.

The Hurricanes have showcased an impressive attacking game, scoring 18 goals in their last four matches. They average 3.39 goals per game and concede 3.1, securing the 12th spot in the league in attack. Key to the upcoming games will be the team's defence, especially in light of the opponents' strong attack. Coach Brind'Amour stresses the importance of maintaining momentum and transferring the success from past games to future matches, and Svechnikov and Aho have made crucial contributions to the attack, scoring 24 points in the last five games.

Head-to-Head

Washington triumphed over Carolina in a shootout series with a 2:1 score in their first match of the season on December 18th. The Hurricanes had previously scored four victories in a row with scores 4:1, 3:2, 3:2 (OT), and 6:1 respectively.

Washington Capitals - Carolina Hurricanes match forecast

The Carolina Hurricanes are in excellent form, making them the favourites in the upcoming game. The performances of Andrei Svechnikov and Petr Kochetkov, who demonstrate high levels of skill, are particularly impressive. Svechnikov has been in splendid form after his injury, bagging a brace in the recent match whilst Kochetkov, who is performing excellently in goal and has won five consecutive matches. Conversely, the Capitals are apparently struggling, especially key players like Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Despite registering points in the last match, both players are having problems with execution and are not showcasing top-form gameplay.