Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals series prediction: Panthers and Capitals will continue to play cheerfully in the play-offs

In their last eight head-to-head meetings, Florida and Washington have scored 69 goals (8.63 average per game). Will the teams have as much fun in the playoffs? We predict that there will be no problem with scoring!

For a long time, Florida has been a team that could be considered a hopeless NHL underdog. Still, Joel Quenneville managed to turn the South into a very powerful and ambitious team in a couple of years. In the opening round, the club had to change its managing director, Andrew Brunnette.

Florida started the regular season with an 8-match winning streak and immediately announced their ambitious plans. The Panthers did not suffer any significant setbacks throughout the season, and they even extended their winning streak to 13 games by the end of the season. The only surprise was a 2:10 loss to Montreal in their last game, but the Southerners had already decided everything and played without their leaders.

Washington is a much more experienced team, but the Capitals have been in a very dark place since their championship run in 2017/18. In the last three Stanley Cups, the Red and Blue were eliminated in the first round, and they lost to the Islanders and Boston by a combined score of 1:4.

Washington's troubles began during the season, so they even risked missing out on the Cup games for a while. However, they made progress in the playoffs. In April, the Capitals made a crucial run, winning six out of seven games to secure eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

In 82 games played, Florida has scored 337 goals (4.11 average per game), which is an incredibly high number for such a long distance. Meanwhile, Washington's stats are not bad either, with 270 pucks in the same 82 games (3.29 average per game). Moreover, in the last eight meetings, the opponents scored 69 goals against each other (8.63 average per game), so we can expect a productive streak, and you can bet on a total over 38.5.

One of the critical factors in the play-offs is experience. Cup battles are a rarity for Florida, having made it to the top 16 for only the fourth time in the last decade, falling in the first round. The Panthers have a formidable roster. Washington still has the core of the championship team they had in the 2017/18 season, so they will still be dangerous and will resist the South, and you can bet on Washington to win the series with a handicap (+1.5).

In their last eight meetings, the teams have scored an average of 8.63 goals between them. Both teams play open and attacking hockey. Moreover, in the Cup clash, someone will probably have to take a chance to replace the goalkeeper, so we suggest betting on a total of over 9.5 pucks in the most productive game of the series.

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