For more than six months, the Florida Panthers imposed their will on opponents night after night on their way to finishing as the NHL’s top team. Now, after a flat performance in their first playoff game against Washington, the Panthers must summon their regular-season might to avoid falling into a seemingly insurmountable 2-0 series hole.
Capitals vs Panthers odds are back on the board for Game 2 Thursday night, and once again Florida will take the ice as an overwhelming favorite. Can the league’s highest-scoring team that produced just two goals in Game 1 regain its firepower? Or will Alex Ovechkin and the veteran Capitals steal the first two games of this best-of-7 series on enemy ice?
Props.com breaks down Capitals vs Panthers odds and action for Game 2 of an opening round Eastern Conference series.
Odds via WynnBet and updated as of 6 p.m. ET on May 5.
Game 1: Washington Capitals Vs. Florida Panthers
Puck drop/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN2
Moneyline: Panthers -270/Capitals +230
Puckline: Panthers -1.5 (+100)/Capitals +1.5 (-120)
Total: 7 (Under -130/Over +110)
Series Price: Panthers -210/Capitals +170
Game 1 Recap: Washington rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the third period, scoring the final three goals in a 4-2 upset victory as a consensus +200 underdog. The game barely stayed Under the 6.5 total.
Season Series: Panthers 2-2-0; Capitals 2-1-1.
Slap Shots
- Florida spotted the Capitals a 1-0 lead less than four minutes into Game 1, then tallied the next two goals to take a 2-1 advantage into the third period. However, the Capitals scored two goals less than 2½ minutes apart midway through the third. Washington tacked on an empty-netter with 49 seconds remaining.
- Nine Washington players notched a single point, including Ovechkin, who assisted on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s game-tying goal. Ovechkin played after missing the final three regular season games with an injury.
- The Panthers were outshot 38-32 and went 0-for-2 on the power play. The Capitals converted 1 of 3 power-play chances.
- Washington goaltender Vitek Vanecek (30 saves) outdueled Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky (34 saves). Bobrovsky went 39-7-3 with a 2.67 goals-against average in the regular season.
- Capitals forward/serial pest Tom Wilson scored the game’s first goal but left soon after with a lower-body injury. He’s questionable for Game 2.
Streaks & Stats
The Capitals entered the playoffs in a 1-3-2 funk, but they were outstanding on the road all season at 25-10-6 (as opposed to 19-16-6 at home).
The Panthers, who coasted in the final week of the regular season after securing the No. 1 overall playoff seed, have lost four of five. Florida went 34-7-0 at home, losing consecutive games in its building just twice. The Panthers dropped back-to-back home games to the Kings and Senators in mid-December, then lost three straight to the Predators, Blue Jackets and Oilers in late February.
Betting Nuggets
Prior to Game 1, the home team won four in a row in this rivalry and the Over cashed in eight straight meetings, with all eight featuring at least seven goals. … Florida is still 44-8 in its last 52 games as a home favorite. … The Over is 18-7-2 in Washington’s last 27 overall, but the Under is 8-2-4 in Florida’s last 14.
Game 2 Best Bets
Panthers -1.5 goals (puck line) and Over 6.5 goals.
Capitals vs Panthers Odds and Action
UPDATE 6 P.M. ET: WynnBet opened Florida a healthy -255, with Washington +205 on the takeback in the Capitals vs Panthers odds market. The moneyline initially dipped to Panthers -238 Tuesday night, but has since stretched out multiple times to -270, where it sits now, with the Caps +230.
Ticket count is beyond 7/1 on favored Florida, but money is much closer to two-way play, with 58% on the Panthers. On the puckline, Florida -1.5 flat (-110) is taking 59% of bets, but those wagers account for 79% of money.
The total opened at 6.5 (Over -130) and went through a couple of price adjustments, first to Over -125, then back to Over -130 on its way to Over -135. But WynnBet just made a move on the number, going to 7 (Under -130). Ticket count is 6/1 and money 9/1-plus on the Over.
UPDATE 12:30 P.M. ET: Florida opened and remains a -250 favorite at BetMGM for Game 2, with the Capitals at +200. As of three hours ago, the early moneyline action was split, with 59% of the bets on Washington and 62% of the money on the Panthers. However, puckline wagering favored the home team at 56% bets/61% cash.
The total opened at 6.5 (Over -125) and is now 6.5 (Over -135) on early betting splits of 84% wagers/97% money on the Over.
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