Football Previews
The Washington Capitals travel to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, November 15 at 7:30pm ET. It will be the first of three games between both teams since the Red Wings became an Eastern Conference team this season, after years in the Western Conference.
Detroit is currently 4th in the Atlantic division, with 22 points, 2 points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning who lead the division and conference with 24 points. The Capitals have 19 points and are currently second in the Metropolitan division, 3 points behind the division leading Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both teams are moving in the wrong direction right now, and are both on losing streaks. Detroit has lost three games in a row, and their last two in overtime. This is their second losing streak of three games or more this season.
The Capitals have lost their last two, after a stretch where they won four in a row, and seven out of nine games. Washington has a chance to snap out of their funk with a home game against Eastern Conference bottom dwellers Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, while Detroit has a chance with a home game against a Winnipeg team riding a two game winning streak.
The Detroit Red Wings need to pick up the pace on offense; they score 2.5 goals per game, which is 20th in the league, while they are allowing 2.6 goals per game. They convert on 16.4% of the power play chances, which is 21st best rate in the NHL.
The Red Wings and their fans knew they would have to adjust to the style of hockey played in the Eastern Conference, it is still early in the season and they are still in the playoff picture, but they need to get better on offense and special teams if they are going to make a run at the Stanley cup this season.
The Capitals are the best power play scoring team in the NHL this season, converting on 26.7% of their chances, while killing 88.7% of their opponents’ power play opportunities, which is the 2nd best rate in the league. They are also 9th in the league in scoring, but allow 2.8 goals per game which is 20th in the league.
They have to give goalie Braden Holtby some help by playing better defense; he currently faces 34.4 shots per game, which is 5th in the NHL.
Expect a high scoring game between these two teams because of their lack of defensive prowess, Alex Ovechkin might prove too much for the Red Wings defense to handle.
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