NHL Game Preview for Friday March 2, 2012 – New Jersey Devils @ Washington Capitals

Online Sportsbooks Overview

Now that the NHL trade deadline has passed and the March Madness betting in underway, NHL fans are settling in for what should be an exciting playoff run. The drama is thick in the Eastern Conference as several teams have a legitimate shot at making the post season. The teams that start to fall off now are the ones that will have an extremely difficult time climbing back up into the standings. The teams only have around 20 games left in the season. But most playoff races are so tight that 20 games can seem like an eternity.

 

Two of the teams that are right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race are the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. The fact that these two teams are playing at this point in the season makes for a very good game. The need by both of these teams for every point they can get their hands on means that desperation will hopefully create some very good hockey out of both teams. The Capitals have picked up its play in the past week while the Devils are in danger of being one of those teams that is headed for a late-season collapse.

 

New Jersey Devils

The Devils have lost three games in a row and while the bookie software still has the Devils in control of seventh place in the Eastern Conference, it would only take a couple of more losses for the Devils to slip a little more in the standings. On the flip side, the Devils are only one win away from tying the Ottawa Senators for fifth place in the conference. That is why every game is so important for the Devils.New Jersey has an impressive19-11-1 road record which gives the Devils the confidence it needs to go intoWashington and grab these two points.

 

Washington Capitals

The Capitals have been up and down all season long but are currently riding a three-game winning streak. The Capitals currently hold on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres are all within five points of the Capitals. If Washingtoncan extend its winning streak, then it can put some space between itself and those other teams while trying to climb the Eastern Conference standings. But a sportsbook review of the Capitals season shows that it has had trouble retaining consistency all season long.

 

The Bottom Line

The Capitals are21-8-2at home and riding a winning streak. Even with the team’s inconsistencies this season, it has been able to play well at home. The Devils come into this game having problems scoring goals. Both teams need these points but it is the Capitals that have the edge going into the game and it is the Capitals that will find the support it needs to perform well in front of its home fans.

 

Pick: Washington Capitals

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