The New York Islanders and Washington Capitals take to the ice again tonight in an NHL Playoffs Game 5 matchup. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised live on CNBC. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Capitals favored at home to pick up the critical third win in the series.
The Islanders had a chance to really take a stronghold on this series in Game 4, but they weren't able to get the win. Now they find themselves on the road in a tough situation where the almost assuredly have to win in order to feel positive about the rest of the series. While they can't lose the series tonight, officially, a loss would be detrimental to the Islanders and their fans.
That should make the game more interesting. Washington was able to pick up a 2-1 win in overtime the last time out, getting goals from their two stars in Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom, with Backstrom's goal coming in overtime to secure a tie in the series. The Capitals had the best overall power play during the regular season this year in the league, but this post season the Islanders have proven to be tough on their penalty kill, allowing just one Caps tally with the extra man in seven attempts.
New York hasn't scored a power play goal themselves, coming up short with the extra attacker in 10 attempts. John Tavares and the gang have to find a way to get a tally tonight if they get on the power play, because they're going to need to get a win tonight to stay alive this post season. If Washington wins and has two more chances to pick up the series clincher, this series will all but be over.
That said, the Capitals dodged some early bullets in this series and now have a golden opportunity to put themselves in an amazing spot. They'll win tonight, getting another solid start in between the pipes from Braden Holtby.
Free Pick: Capitals
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