Washington Capitals - Chicago Blackhawks predictions and free betting tips [10/03/2024]

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals recently showed considerable force, scoring a convincing victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins with a whopping 6:0 result, where they netted four times in the second period. Dylan Strome marked his presence in this match with three assists. The Capitals average 2.67 goals per game, while their defense lets in 3.09 goals. In this season, Dylan Strome has scored 22 goals and provided 28 assists.

Alex Ovechkin continues to secure his place among hockey legends by putting away his 10th puck in the last 15 games and assisting in the victory over the Penguins, thereby moving up to the 15th place on the list of NHL's highest scoring players. Ovechkin also netted 18 goals this season, reaching 840 career goals. After several successful games, the Capitals produced a 6-2-1 result and closed the gap to the Tampa Bay Lightning to five points in the fight for a place in the Eastern Conference. The team showed character despite changes in their line-up prior to the NHL deadline, losing forwards Anthony Mantha, Joel Edmundson, and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

The Capitals face challenges in defense, allowing an average of 3.1 goals per game and blocking 79.8% of shots while shorthanded. Key contributions to the team's offense are from Dylan Strome, John Carlson with 31 assists, and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals look forward to meeting tough opponents where they will strive to improve their positions in the conference and demonstrate their strength.

Chicago Blackhawks

Sitting at the bottom of the league table, the Chicago Blackhawks recently halted their run of defeats, including an overall seven-game losing streak and 22-game losing streak on the road, by claiming victory against the Arizona Coyotes with a score of 5:2. The win boosted morale as highlighted by Connor Bedard, who made a significant contribution to the triumph with two goals and has consistently shown great performance with 26 assists and an overall score of 43 points this season. This match saw Bedard reaffirm his status as a key player for the team, bringing his contribution to the last ten games to 10 points.

Seth Jones also made a substantial contribution to the victory over the Coyotes, scoring two goals, highlighting the team's efforts to intensify their attacking performance, which averages 2.05 goals per game. Meanwhile, the team's defense remains vulnerable, letting in an average of 3.56 goals per game, putting them at the 28th place in the league in terms of this stat.

The Blackhawks are set to face competitors such as the Coyotes, Ducks, and Kings following the win, where they look to maintain the positive trend. The team's power play efficiency stands at 14.5%, while defensively they block 77.5% of opponents' shots. Jason Dickinson leads the team in goals this season, while Connor Bedard and Seth Jones continue to make significant contributions.

Head-to-Head

In recent matchups between Chicago and Washington, the last three victories were claimed by the Capitals. In the game on 11th December 2023, Washington defeated Chicago 4:2. Earlier, on 24th March 2023, the Capitals dominated, triumphing with a large score of 6:1. Another encounter held on 14th December 2022, ended in favour of Washington, with a 7:3 win, underlining their attacking power. Nevertheless, Chicago also had their successes, like the overtime victory of 5:4 on 3rd December 2021, and another win after a shootout with a score of 4:3 on 16th December 2021.

Match prediction: Washington Capitals - Chicago Blackhawks

The Capitals appear to be bright in recent games and should confidently take the 2 points, contending towards the Eastern playoff.