The Washington Capitals will visit the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Centre, Philadelphia, on 7th December 2022.
The two teams played last against each other on 23rd November, where the Washington Capitals won the game by 3:2. During the past ten years, the two teams have gone head to head 57 times, out of which the Washington Capitals have won 31 times while the Philadelphia Flyers have won 26 times.
Here is a brief roundup of the respective performances of the two teams to assess what we can expect from the Wednesday game.
Washington Capitals Statistics
The Washington Capitals are ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference. The team has played 27 games in the season so far, out of which it has won 11 and lost 16 games. The team played its last match against the Edmonton Oilers on the 5th and won by 3:2. Fortunately, the win came after back-to-back losses.
It has been a rough season for the Capitals, as the offence has struggled in particular. The team has been scoring an average of 2.73 goals per game and managed to score only 7 goals in their last three games. Alexander Ovechkin is the lead scorer in the team, with 3 goals and 3 assists in his last five games. Other lead scorers are Dylan Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Overall, only four players from the Capitals have scored six or more goals. So overall, it has been a low-scoring season for the Capitals.
While the offence for the Capitals has staggered, the defence side has also struggled. They have conceded an average of 3.12 goals per game. The goaltender Darcy Kuemper has a save percentage of 0.916 and has allowed an average of 2.56 goals against 570 shots.
Philadelphia Flyers Statistics
The Philadelphia Flyers are in 15th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses in the season so far. The team won its game against the Colorado Avalanche on 5th December by a score of 5:3. The team had lost two back-to-back matches against the Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning before winning its last match. However, its win against the Colorado Avalanche, the 4th ranked team in the Central Division, was a surprise as the Avalanches were favoured to win the game.
Like Washington, it has not been an easy season for Philadelphia. The team’s offence has struggled immensely and maintains an average of only 2.36 goals per game. However, during the last three games, the Flyers have scored 8 goals, five of which were added from their last win. Kevin Hayes remains the top scorer for the team, with three goals and three assists in the last five games. Only four Philadelphia players have managed to score four or more goals during the season.
On the defence side, the Flyers have conceded an average of 3.24 goals per game. The most noteworthy performance is that of the goaltender, Carter Hart, who has a save percentage of 0.911 and has thwarted an average of 2.82 goals against the total of 564 shots sent his way.
Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers Prediction
It may not have been a very favourable season for the Capitals and Flyers as they both have lost more matches than they have won. In addition, both teams’ offence and defence have struggled, which is evident from the stats.
However, if we consider the past head-to-head record of the two teams, the Capitals would have an advantage. Washington has maintained a scoring average of 4.09 against Philadelphia’s 2.7 goals in the last eleven games. Philadelphia may have a home turf advantage, but the stats point in favour of Washington.