Welcome to a Thursday edition of NHL Predictions! There are 12 games on the schedule for Thursday. Last Word On Hockey will take you around the league and look at some intriguing games. Our prediction takes us to Washington, D.C. The 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals play the 2019 Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues.
NHL Predictions
St. Louis Blues vs. Washington Capitals
Time: 7:00 P.M. Eastern Time
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, Monumental Sports Network
Head-to-Head: Capitals Lead 1-0
The Blues and Capitals met in St. Louis in November. The Caps steamrolled the Blues in an 8-1 victory. Alex Ovechkin scored two goals, which put him 31 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky‘s record. The “Great Eight” has gotten closer since then, but we will get to that in a bit.
The Capitals are seeking their first season-series win over the Blues since the 2019-20 season. The season paused due to COVID-19, so the Blues and Caps only met once, which the Caps won 3-2 in overtime on the night the Blues raised their Stanley Cup banner. A win would accomplish that for the Capitals and earn them their first season sweep of the Blues since the 2017-18 season.
Blues Look to Win Another for Mr. Kerber
The Blues will play Thursday’s shorthanded. No, not on the roster, but in the radio booth. Chris Kerber, the team’s longtime radio play-by-play sportscaster, will not be in the booth on Thursday. The family is mourning the loss of Chris’s father, who was influential in Chris becoming a hockey sportscaster. On Tuesday, the Blues won one for Mr. Kerber, a 7-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Zachary Bolduc scored two goals as the Blue Note cruised to victory.
On Thursday, the Blues will look to win another for Mr. Kerber in the nation’s capital.
The “Gr8 Chase” Continues
Ahh, yes. Now, we talk about the “Great Eight.” After a hat trick on Sunday and another goal on Tuesday, Ovechkin enters Thursday’s game just 12 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record. Ovechkin will be playing a team on Thursday against which he has succeeded. The “Great Eight” has 21 career goals against the Blues, including two hat tricks.
The Capitals are one of the best teams in the league and are Stanley Cup contenders. However, that has taken a backseat to the chase for Ovechkin’s 895th goal. That is fitting, though. Gretzky’s record had been considered unbroken for so long. Who knows if we ever see a player do this again? Connor McDavid? Connor Bedard? Who knows? However, we should enjoy it while we have it.
Prediction
The Blues are 2-0-1 since the season. The Capitals, meanwhile, are 2-1. Both teams are playing well, so who do we give the edge to?
Well, you know who else is red hot right now? Yep. Ovechkin. We might be jumping on the record-breaking bandwagon, but we are picking Ovi and the home team.
Capitals win, 6-3.
Prop Bets
The over/under is set at 5.5 goals. We are taking the over with nine goals.
Now for the prop bets. For the Blues, we are taking defenceman Philip Broberg as an anytime-scorer. For the Capitals, well, this pick may surprise. We are going to go out on a limb and pick Ovechkin. What can we say? We like to live dangerously. In fact, we will live a little more dangerously and suggest taking a bet on Ovechkin recording yet another hat trick.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
Please play responsibly. Check for your local rules and age restrictions. Some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Have a gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The post NHL Predictions: February 27th St. Louis Blues Vs. Washington Capitals appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.