Detroit Red Wings vs Washington Capitals Prediction: Expect a productive encounter

Prediction for the NHL match which will take place on February 28. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Detroit is having a decent regular season, so the Wings' chances of making the playoffs are getting better and better. It's been a while since we've seen them in cup battles, as they've been going through a major personnel rebuild. Still, now the youngsters have gained experience playing at the NHL level, and they've also made acquisitions of high-profile players, which allows them to solve big problems. The Red and White were especially productive in the second half of February when they beat Calgary 5:0, Seattle 4:3, Colorado 2:1, St. Louis 6:1, and Chicago 3:2 to reach sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Washington has a completely different situation. The Capitals are long overdue for a personnel rebuild, but the current roster core is trying to cling to its last chance to prove itself by interfering in the fight for the trophy. The situation worsens because Nicklas Backstrom has suspended his career, Evgeny Kuznetsov is out for personal reasons, and Nick Dowd, Sonny Milano, and T.J. Oshie are all injured. Despite those losses, they have had a very successful stretch: in their last eight games, they've been held scoreless only once, lost twice in overtime, and won five more, climbing to ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Detroit and Washington are direct rivals in the fight for a playoff spot and are currently in good shape. Only seven points separate the rivals, but the Capitals still have a game in hand, so they have a chance to close the gap. However, they are so good right now that it will be extremely difficult to do so. The Red and White have not lost points in five consecutive games, showing high-quality hockey. In addition, the home team has virtually no personnel losses, while the visitors have plenty, and therefore, the home team is the favorite.

Despite all the personnel problems, Washington has impressed the public with spectacular and productive hockey lately. In the previous six games, the Capitals had 46 shots on goal (7.67 average per game), which is a very high number in itself, and all six cases, they scored and conceded at least two goals, and in four of the six games they scored at least three goals. In the upcoming battle, we can expect a goal shootout.