The Washington Capitals host the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning Tonight, Thursday Mar 04, as the Capitals bring out their new additions. This is the fourth of six meetings between the Southeast Division rivals. Washington has won two of the first three. NHL oddsmakers at BETUS.com have the Capitals as -262 moneyline favs over the Lightning (+240) with the over/under set at 6.5 goals . Be sure to get your Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals NHL Prediction in early at BETUS.com
The Lightning (26-25-4-7) has lost six of their last ten and four of their last five on the road. They are 9-17-3-2 on the road where they average 2.35 GAG and allow 3.58 GAG. They recently lost to Philadelphia 2-7 at home as they got a pair of goals from Steven Stamkos. Goalie Antero Niittymaki stopped 25 of 31 shots before he was pulled for backup Mike Smith. Niittymaki allowed five goals in the third period. "You get penalties, stuff like that, you try to stop it," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "The momentum just went." Niittymaki is 6-4 in his last ten with a 2.50 GAA. In his past three games, Niittymaki has allowed 14 goals on 85 shots for a .835 save percentage . Overall he’s 16-11-5 with a 2.66 GAA and a .914 SVPCT. Lightning center Steven Stamkos has 12 goals and 13 assists in his last 14 games.
The Capitals (42-13-5-3) have won seven of their last ten and five straight on home ice. They are 23-3-2-1 at home where they average 4.03 GAG and allow 2.48 GAG. They recently won in Buffalo 3-1. They got goals from Jason Chimera, Mike Green and Boyd Gordon. Goalie Jose Theodore stopped 23 of 24 shots and is 8-2 in his last ten with a 3.00 GAA. Overall he’s 21-7-6 with a 2.88 GAA and a .908 SVPCT. The Caps will have a new look tonight, as they added three players prior to Wednesday's trade deadline — Eric Belanger (Minnesota), Scott Walker (Carolina) and Joe Corvo (Carolina). General Manager George McPhee sent a not-so-subtle message to the rest of the NHL: He believes the time is now for his team to make a Stanley Cup run. Alexander Ovechkin was held off the scoreboard last game but he’ll have a great game tonight against a struggling Tampa goalie. Just what they need to boost their confidence.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Over is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in Washington.
- Over is 5-2-2 in the last 9 meetings.
- Favorite is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings.
- Lightning are 3-14 in the last 17 meetings.
- Lightning are 0-6 in the last 6 meetings in Washington.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals
When: Thursday Mar 04, 2009 7:00 PM ET
Line: BETUS.com
Pick: Capitals -262
Point-Spreads.com Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals NHL Prediction
The Bottom Line: Ovechkin will be putting pucks past the Lightning’s struggling goalie. Be sure to get your Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals NHL Prediction in now at BETUS.com and receive up to 145% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
