The Buffalo Sabres (+105) head to take on the Washington Capitals (-125) at Capital One Arena on Wednesday. The total is 6.5 (O: -115, U: -105)Buffalo (33-28-5) is coming off a 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs on Monday, ending a streak of four defeats in a row.
The Sabres committed only one penalty in the game, holding Toronto without a power play goal. Alex Tuch was the top goalscorer for the Sabres with two goals. Craig Anderson only saved 25 of 28 shots (.892%) in the win.
Washington (32-29-7) is playing the second of a back-to-back after suffering a 5-3 loss against the Rangers yesterday. Matt Irwin, Nic Dowd, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel each scored once for the Capitals. Irwin added an assist to lead the team in scoring. Darcy Kuemper saved only 31 of 35 shots against (.885%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Sabres have won both games between the teams this season, including a 7-4 victory in their most recent meeting in February. Dylan Cozens led Buffalo with four points (3G 1A). Dylan Strome (1G 1A), T.J. Oshie (1G 1A), and Nick Jensen (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Washington. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the win despite allowing four goals on 30 shots (.866%).
FACING OFF
Buffalo is averaging 3.65 goals per game for the season, third in the NHL, and they are taking on a Capitals team that is allowing 2.97 goals a game (13th). Meanwhile, Washington has found the net 3.09 times a game on average, 19th in the league, and the Sabres are allowing opponents to score 3.61 goals per game (26th).
The Sabres’ 24.77% power play percentage is the fourth-best in the league, while the Capitals rank 20th with a conversion rate of 20.10%. While efficient on the power play, Buffalo has been less successful at penalty killing, as the away team possesses the league’s third-lowest PK% at 72.87%. Washington’s 82.54% ranks seventh in the NHL.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 87 points this season, fifth-most in the NHL, Tage Thompson is the top skater for the Sabres. He is among the league leaders with 42 goals (6th) and has added 45 assists. In the net, Anderson (10-9-2) is Buffalo’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.79 GAA and a .917% save percentage.
Luukkonen (15-10-3) leads the Sabres in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 3.54 and a save percentage of .894%. Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals in scoring with 62 points. He has 36 goals (9th) and 26 assists.
Charlie Lindgren (12-8-2) has the best goals against average for Washington at 2.74. He has a save percentage of .905%. Kuemper (20-21-5) has played the most games in net for the Capitals this season. He has a 2.75 GAA and a .911% save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY
Buffalo is 20-10-2 away from KeyBank Center this season. Washington is 15-13-4 at Capital One Arena this season. Meanwhile, the Capitals are 1-7 without a day off and 0-4 playing with a rest disadvantage. The Sabres are 7-3 with a rest advantage.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Washington Capitals (-120)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your NHL needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
