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(NHL) Washington vs. Columbus,
Money Line: -135.00 Columbus (Home)
Result: Loss
Money Line: -135.00 Columbus (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Washington Capitals didn't win the Presidents' Trophy this season (entered the season off back-to-back wins) but the team's 105 points were enough for them to capture their third consecutive Metropolitan Division title. Few teams can match the regular-season success of the Washington Capitals in recent years but Alex Ovechkin and company are more concerned with erasing a lengthy history of playoff flops. The Capitals have not been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1998 and have been drummed out of the playoffs in the second round in each of the past three seasons. The Capitals seemed to insist that they had less pressure this postseason than in years past, perhaps as a result of failing to win the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in three years. However, after winning 12 of 15 games heading into the playoffs, the Capitals once again watching history repeat itself in the postseason. Columbus has never led, much less won, a postseason series but this past Sunday, the Blue Jackets became only the fifth team in history to erase multiple-goal deficits in the opening two games of a playoff series. Columbus has never won a postseason series but gets sets to host Washington on Tuesday, leading 2-0.
Washington: The Caps are once again in the position of hoping to avoid another early playoff exit. "You're right now in a hard position," acknowledged Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. "But it's going to be fun when we bounce back and (we're) going to tie the series and come back here and play Game 5 at home." Washington learned Monday that forward Andre Burakovsky will miss at least the next two games after sustaining an upper-body injury and he will be replaced by Jakub Vrana, who was a healthy scratch Tuesday after collecting an assist in the series opener. Head coach Barry Trotz said he has made his decision on his starting goaltender in Game 3 but would not disclose if he is going back to Braden Holtby, after he replaced Philipp Grubauer in the third period of Sunday's loss.
Columbus: Matt Calvert delivered the deciding goal in overtime on Sunday but Cam Atkinson netted two goals (he's on an 11-game points streak) to rally Columbus from a pair of two-goal deficits and continue a late-season binge that has seen him score 13 times over his last 13 games. More importantly, two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, who entered the series with a ghastly 3-10 postseason record, has been YUGE in the first two games. He has stopped 81 of 88 shots (.920 SP), including facing 58 shots in the Game 2 win, setting a franchise record with 54 saves, including 21 in the third period.
The pick: Yes, the Blue Jackets are just the fifth team to overcome multi-goal deficits in back-to-back playoff games in NHL history but that's also a concern. They've fallen behind in both games largely because of too many penalties (13 combined in Games 1 and 2), with Washington converting five of those opportunities. Also, can Bobrovsky contune to 'stand tall' when facing so many shots on goal (88 in two games)? Teams that have lost the first two of a best-of-seven series at home have come back to win on only 19 of 89 occasions. Washington's playoff history gives one pause but so does Bobrovsky's postseason failures (before the first two games of this series). Plus, there is the fact that Columbus has never won a playoff series. Make Washington an 8* play.
Washington: The Caps are once again in the position of hoping to avoid another early playoff exit. "You're right now in a hard position," acknowledged Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. "But it's going to be fun when we bounce back and (we're) going to tie the series and come back here and play Game 5 at home." Washington learned Monday that forward Andre Burakovsky will miss at least the next two games after sustaining an upper-body injury and he will be replaced by Jakub Vrana, who was a healthy scratch Tuesday after collecting an assist in the series opener. Head coach Barry Trotz said he has made his decision on his starting goaltender in Game 3 but would not disclose if he is going back to Braden Holtby, after he replaced Philipp Grubauer in the third period of Sunday's loss.
Columbus: Matt Calvert delivered the deciding goal in overtime on Sunday but Cam Atkinson netted two goals (he's on an 11-game points streak) to rally Columbus from a pair of two-goal deficits and continue a late-season binge that has seen him score 13 times over his last 13 games. More importantly, two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, who entered the series with a ghastly 3-10 postseason record, has been YUGE in the first two games. He has stopped 81 of 88 shots (.920 SP), including facing 58 shots in the Game 2 win, setting a franchise record with 54 saves, including 21 in the third period.
The pick: Yes, the Blue Jackets are just the fifth team to overcome multi-goal deficits in back-to-back playoff games in NHL history but that's also a concern. They've fallen behind in both games largely because of too many penalties (13 combined in Games 1 and 2), with Washington converting five of those opportunities. Also, can Bobrovsky contune to 'stand tall' when facing so many shots on goal (88 in two games)? Teams that have lost the first two of a best-of-seven series at home have come back to win on only 19 of 89 occasions. Washington's playoff history gives one pause but so does Bobrovsky's postseason failures (before the first two games of this series). Plus, there is the fact that Columbus has never won a playoff series. Make Washington an 8* play.
