Do the Panthers take the lead for the first time?
Are the favourites in the NHL playoffs about to die? Besides the favoured Flames, the Hurricanes and the Rangers, the Florida Panthers also face a hairy task. If they hadn’t just won Game 4 in overtime, it would be very close.
As it is, however, everything is open again with an intermediate score of 2:2 and the Panthers now have it in their own hands at home to avert the threat of elimination. It would also be a bitter disappointment if the best team of the regular season were to be eliminated immediately.
However, the Panthers have an extremely tough nut to crack in the first round with the Washington Capitals. As former champions, they know exactly how the postseason works, which can be seen in their efficiency.
With a total of 18 fewer shots, Washington has scored two more goals so far – “that’s how playoffs work”. For Game 5 between Florida and Washington, however, our prediction is another win for the Panthers, as they are now on the road with the necessary momentum.
Florida Panthers – statistics & current form
The Panthers just about jumped out of the worst-case scenario on Monday. Carter Verhaeghe’s 3-2 winner came in overtime. If they had lost that game, that would have been it.
That’s the way it is in the NHL, where no team can be too sure. Because, unlike in basketball, a best-of-7 series can quickly lead to surprising results. Momentum and goaltending are two of the magic words why things can happen so quickly in ice hockey.
Are the Panthers awake now?
Especially defensively, the Panthers seem to have woken up just in time to get through this first round. They allowed only 16 shots on Monday, which is a new negative in this year’s playoffs.
But the fact that they still conceded two goals doesn’t speak well for goalie Sergey Bobrovsky. With a save percentage of only 90.0%, he lags behind his counterpart Samsonov (94.9%) by a few percentage points. To be on the safe side, Bobrovsky should also improve his performance.
Powerplay still not there at all
Another point that needs to get better is their own powerplay. With 0.00%, they are in last place among all teams and have not yet been able to score a single power play goal. In the regular season, the Panthers were the fifth best team in the league with a 24.4% success rate.
That is also the reason why we continue to believe in Florida. This negative streak has to come to an end and we expect it to happen on Wednesday. So for Panthers vs Capitals, a tip on Florida is our favoured betting option.
Key Players:
G: Sergei Bobrovsky
D: Mackenzie Weegar
D: Aaron Ekblad
LW: Carter Verhaeghe
C: Aleksander Barkov
RW: Anthony Duclair
Washington Capitals – Statistics & current form
The Capitals were very close to a 3:1 series lead and then got the neck blow in overtime by Verhaeghe. Now it will be even more difficult to get back on track – among other things because the next game is away.
Because Florida had the best home record of all teams in the regular season with only seven home losses, there is a lot to be said against the Capitals. In addition, they were rarely dangerous in front of the opponent’s goal in Game 4 and only managed 16 shots on goal in the end.
Have the Caps shot their powder?
It could now be that they have to use Wednesday’s game to regain their composure. Against this backdrop, success seems extremely unlikely and even a slightly higher defeat is within the realms of possibility against the home-strong Panthers.
The Caps will not be helped by their very good over- and under-number play. They are in first place in penalty killing with 100% and also in the top four in power play with 29.4%.
Caps clearly outplayed in 5-on-5
Despite these advantages on special teams, the fact that it was only enough for a 2:2 in the series highlights the inferiority in terms of play. Especially in the 5-on-5 game, the Capitals are so regularly pressed into their own third.
If they (especially Ovechkin) don’t have another great day on the powerplay, we expect a defeat. For Panthers vs. Caps, the odds on Florida are best used in combination with Over 5.5 goals. A number that has been surpassed in three of the four duels so far.
Key Players:
G: Ilya Samsonov
D: Martin Fehervary
D: John Carlson
LW: Alex Ovechkin
C: Evgeny Kuznetsov
RW: T.J. Oshie
Florida Panthers – Washington Capitals Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance
In the playoffs it is now 2:2, in the regular season the Panthers were able to win two of the three duels. However, it is clear that there is not much separating these two teams.
With the momentum and the home advantage, however, the Panthers are now considered the clear favourites in Game 5. In addition, it became apparent in the direct encounters that this match stands for goals. In the last twelve meetings, the 5.5 total goals have been exceeded a full eleven times.
So we have found another betting option. For Florida vs. Washington, a bet on over-points is just as recommended as one on the home team. We also pick up the best value with a combination of Panthers + Over 5.5 goals.
Florida Panthers – Washington Capitals Tip
The Panthers have it in their hands. The greater individual class, the better regular season and the best home record speak in their favour. Should Florida now also improve on the special teams, then not much should go wrong.
So for Florida against Washington, a bet on the Panthers + Over 5.5 is a great option to combine two very likely options. Those Over 5.5 total points were not surpassed on Monday for the first time since February 2018
