T.M. Selection: Carolina Hurricanes.

I like the Carolina Hurricanes to win this game against the Washington Capitals on Friday. The Hurricanes were looking great with 4 wins in a row but they have stumbled a bit in their games lately and have lost 2 in a row now. Both of their losses came in road games, 4-2 to the Penguins and 3-2 to the Leafs, but I think they are due for a bounce back in this game. This game is a B2B for them but I think that can help them out here coming off that loss and I expect them to step up their game and play better on home ice this time. They have still scored 2 goals in both games so scoring hasn't been an issue for them and I think they will score even more goals being on home ice for this game. The Capitals have won 3 games in a row and they have looked good in those games but I also think they have been slipping a bit lately. They have been playing in really close games lately with 3/4 of their previous 4 games going into OT, including 2/3 of their previous 3 wins. They have also won 3/4 of their previous 4 games by just 1 goal. Their most recent game was a win over the Blue Jackets but the Capitals are also on a B2B here and I think they might be a bit tired after scoring 7 goals in their previous game. The Hurricanes have better goaltending than the Blue Jackets do and their defense is also a lot better, the Capitals won't score that many on them here and they will actually struggle to score on them at all in this game. I think the Hurricanes have been way better over the course of the year and I expect them to get another win on home ice here. I like the Hurricanes to win this game.

T.M. Prediction: 4-2 Hurricanes.