Detroit vs Washington: The rivals will finally have a productive match between them

One of the games that will please hockey fans on New Year's Eve will be between the legendary Detroit Red Wings and Alexander Ovechkin's Washington. Who will emerge victoriously?

Steve Yzerman's work as general manager has begun to pay off in a flash. The former Red Wings forward previously held the same position as the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning's two Stanley Cups were among the successes Yzerman set the stage for.

Yzerman returned to the main club of his hockey life ahead of the 2019/20 season. And now, for the third championship, the team is in contention to make the playoffs. It's far from certain to get there, but the Red Wings' progress is evident.

Detroit have not yet taken to the ice after the Cavalry break. Jeff Blashill's team confidently outplayed New Jersey 5-2 on home soil in the last game before the break. In total, the Red Wings have 15 wins in their 31st game since the start of the championship. They are 8th in the Eastern Conference, the current wild-card playoff champion.

While Detroit haven't played since the break, Peter Laviolette's Capitals faced Nashville on December 30. By the end of the first period, Washington led 3-0 but easily allowed their opponent to gain an advantage in the second period. They had to win by heroic means. To Washington's credit, the team coped with the task brilliantly. With 5.5 minutes before the final siren, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a penalty kill. The final score was set by Carl Hagelin, who hit the empty net - 5:3. Kuznetsov had the winning puck while Alexander Ovechkin added an assist. Dmitry Orlov had two assists.

Washington retained first place in the Metropolitan Division after their win over Nashville. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning are above the Capitals in the Eastern Conference standings.

The first two games between the opponents this season were poor in goals. There is a high probability that the third meeting will be productive on the other hand. Both Detroit and Washington have several top-notch forwards and controversial goaltending. As a rule, both teams play exactly goal-oriented games. It's time for the general trend to spill over to the face-off between the Capitals and Red Wings.

The prediction is that the rivals will finally productively play each other.

• Total Over 5.5 for 1.90;
• Each team will score over 2.5 for 3.10;
• Correct score 3-3 for 10.0.