Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals Prediction, 5/1/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals

Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021

Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, DC

TV: NHL Network

Odds/Point Spread: Penguins (-108) Capitals (-112)

Ilya Samsonov and the Washington Capitals (32-13-5) host the Pittsburgh Penguins (33-15-3) at Capital One Arena on Saturday. The Capitals open this contest at -112 while the Penguins are coming in at -108. The total is set at 5.5.

The Penguins were on the winning side of the scoreboard with a 5-4 win over the Capitals in their previous game. When starting in the offensive zone they came in at 48.8% and their PDO rating was 105.0 in this one. They garnered 30 face-off wins when at even strength and were beaten on 32 attempts to gain puck control. Their Fenwick was 46 and the Fenwick against finished at 40, meaning they had a Fenwick percentage of 53.5%. The Corsi for the Penguins was 57 and the Corsi against was 54 meaning they had a Corsi percentage of 51.4%. Pittsburgh recorded 6 mins in the box in this game. In addition, they had 3 power play chances but weren't able to convert one of them into a goal. The Penguins had a impressive offensive outing in the victory. In the matchup, they earned a goal on 5 of the 35 shots they put on goal.

The Penguins have had 1,525 shots tried against them and have earned a save percentage of .908. When playing at even strength, the Penguins have allowed the opponent to score 108 goals while having 141 of their own. Pittsburgh Penguins opponents have recorded 147 power play opportunities (19th in the NHL) and have racked up 33 goals in those chances. For the current campaign, they have tallied 69 points and their points percentage sits at .676. Pittsburgh has taken 1,533 shots and holds a shot percentage of 11.2%. When discussing their goal scoring prowess, the Pittsburgh Penguins have notched 172 goals (2nd in hockey) so far this year and have conceded 141. Pittsburgh has compiled 140 power play chances and they have added 31 goals during those chances, giving them a rate of 22.14%.

The man in goal for this game is Tristan Jarry. For his career, Jarry is sitting with 54 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .587. He has a save percentage of .913 in his 5,455 minutes between the pipes. Jarry has seen 2,772 shots against him and has accrued 2,530 total saves. The opposition has been able to score 242 goals versus Jarry in his professional career and his goals against average per game is 2.66. He has a mark of 56-29-7 and he has gotten the start in 92 games. Jarry has participated in 97 games during his NHL career.

In their loss to Pittsburgh, Washington went home with a 48.6% Corsi rate. This Corsi percentage speaks to the kind of game that Washington played and it was an excellent showing for this outing. They earned a Fenwick percentage of 46.5% with a Fenwick of 40 and the Penguins ending the game with a 46 Fenwick. Their PDO at even strength was 95 and their percentage of oZS was 51.2%. The Capitals netted 4 goals of the 37 shots on goal they attempted. They had 3 power play chances in this one and notched 1 out of those opportunities.

Washington has put up 1,446 shots (22nd in pro hockey) and has a shooting percentage of 11.89%, while allowing their opponents 1,456 shots. They have recorded a penalty kill rate of 83.22% on their oppositions 149 power play chances, and their save percentage is 89.9%. They have a total of 136 power play chances and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 26.47%. The Capitals have racked up 136 goals at even strength and 36 goals (6th in pro hockey) while having a power play advantage. They have allowed 147 goals to be scored by of a combination of 122 goals at even strength and 25 goals while they had less men on the ice. For the year, the Washington Capitals have earned 172 goals, 69 points, as well as a points percentage of .690.

For the opposition you will find Ilya Samsonov protecting the goal. The opposition is averaging 2.60 goals/game and he has allowed 106 goals in total. Samsonov's quality start percentage is 48.7% and he has accumulated 19 quality starting assignments in his career. He got the starting nod in 39 games and his ice time sits at 2,444 mins. Samsonov has amassed a career mark of 29-9-3 and has been in goal for 44 games. He has compiled 1,056 saves out of the 1,162 shots attempted against him, which gives him a save % of .909.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (-108)

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