The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight when the New York Islanders take on the Washington Capitals in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first round matchup. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Capitals favored to get the win in this second matchup.

The Islanders were able to steal the first game of this series on Wednesday, claiming an impressive 4-1 victory over the Capitals to start the post season. Brock Nelson scored twice in that contest, posting the first and final tally on the board for New York.

Washington must find a way to capitalize tonight, in their own building. The Capitals were pretty stable both at home and on the road this season, but falling behind by two games could be a certain problem for them the rest of the series. Both Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom finished -2 in the opening game of this series, something that can't happen tonight if the Capitals are going to have any chance to even the series. Washington has to get back to the style of play that helped them earn home-ice advantage, where they went 9-3-1 in its last 13 games of the regular season. 

And even though the Capitals didn't seem to overwhelmed or upset about a Game 1 loss, they should be a bit more concerned moving forward. Look for the Capitals to be focused and ready to go tonight, finding a way to even the series and looking good doing it.

Free Pick: Washington

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