There are many hockey fans who believe that winning the President’s Trophy for having the best regular season record is the kiss of death. The stats would almost certainly bear that out, as only 8 teams since the 1986-87 season have won the trophy and gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the same season. Regardless of those numbers, the team that was the best in the regular season generally goes into the playoffs as the favorite to win it all. The Washington Capitals are the most recent recipients of the President’s Trophy, and they are the choice of many people as the team to beat in the postseason. They have developed a stunning level of balance under head coach Barry Trotz. This is a team that can beat you in a number of different ways, and they will be trying to win another one on Saturday when they head into Arizona to face the Coyotes. Full odds for this one can be found at the MyBookie.ag NHL Betting portal.
Washington Vs Arizona NHL Odds, TV & Game Info
When: Saturday, April 1 at 10 PM EST
Where: Gila River Arena, Phoenix
TV: CSNB and FSAZ
Radio: Capitals and Coyotes
Live Stream: FoxSportsGo
NHL Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Washington Capitals
There is really very little left to say about this Washington Capitals (54-16-6) team that hasn’t been said already countless times this season. When you are either first or second in all the major statistical categories, it’s no fluke that you are considered the best team in the league. The danger heading into this one for bettors is that the Capitals are probably going to start looking at giving some of their key personnel a night off here and there. If we assume that they are going to be full strength, then this is a game that they should win. They already have a victory over the Coyotes this season, and are an impressive 25-9-4 on the road this season. The Caps are averaging 3.1 GPG, and are giving up 2.3 GPG.
Why bet on the Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes (34-36-7) were officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week, and they now look like a team just waiting for the season to end. They have lost 2 straight coming into this one, and have seen their goal production dry up a little in the past couple of weeks. The end result of this season is all the more disappointing when you consider that the Coyotes are a respectable 6 games over .500 at home this season. They will be looking to reward their fans with a strong finish in the final week, and a win over the best team in the league would certainly help remove some of the bad taste that has to be in their mouth right now. The Coyotes are averaging 2.6 GPG, and are giving up 3.0 GPG.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Capitals haven’t really shown any signs of resting guys at this late stage of the season, which makes me believe they will be full strength here. If that is the case, then I see a comfortable victory for the Caps.
Washington Capitals 4 Arizona Coyotes 1
