It was a banner season for the Washington Capitals. They won 56 games, logged 120 points, won the Presidents' Trophy and helped Braden Holtby tie the record for the most wins ever by a goalie in a single season.
But the Caps have been here before. They've had the best team in the NHL and have come up short against lesser teams than the one they're about to open up the postseason with in 2016. The Philadelphia Flyers are playing good hockey and earned their way into the playoffs, and they're determined to make life a living nightmare in April once again for hockey fans in D.C.
Stanley Cup Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Philadelphia Flyers +160
Washington Capitals -200
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Capitals went 29-8-4 at home this year, and that last loss to the Ducks on Sunday shouldn't count since the game meant nothing to them and the Pacific Division title to the visitors. They almost have to be massive favorites in this one. Whether they're truly justified all the way up at -200 might be another story, but there's no doubt they're winning this game more often than not, especially against a team which won just 18 times in 2015-16 away from home.
GOALIE REPORT
Holtby might've won 48 games this year, but what most don’t realize about him is that he's been fantastic in the postseason in his career, too. He's only 26 years old, and though his 16-18 record isn't all that good in the postseason, a .936 save percentage and 1.92 GAA are out of this world.
Michal Neuvirth would love the chance to face his former team in this series, but if he has to play, that's bad news for the Flyers. Steve Mason's numbers aren't fantastic, and if he doesn't improve upon his 2.51 GAA from the regular season, Philly is as good as dead.
However, Mason was the better of the two goalies down the stretch for sure, and he's earned the right to start Game 1.
LIVE BETTING
You'd better believe you're going to see some tight games in this series. In the regular season this year, the Caps and Flyers played two of their four games to overtime, and three of the four were decided by a single goal. Dating back to the 2013-14 season, eight of the last 12 between these two were decided by just one moment of brilliance, and the team at +1.5 has covered the puck-line in 10 of the 12.
QUICK PICK
The Flyers have really come on strong at the end of the season, and they have the horses to win this game and this series. Claude Giroux is still a superstar, and Wayne Simmonds is amongst the hottest wingers in the game at the moment.
Sure, we're a little worried about Mason, but we're also worried about Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin choking again on the big time stage. Sure, having Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie will help, but this Washington team doesn't deserve this much respect.
Though we're convinced the Capitals are winning this game more often than not, Philly is pulling off this upset often enough to make this bet worthwhile. Don't be surprised if this one heads to overtime. It’s nothing but a coin flip from there and we’d rather have the big dog when the odds move to 50/50.
NHL Odds: Flyers 4, Capitals 3
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BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! Game 1 of this series between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals will commence on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Verizon Center. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
