St. Louis Blues vs Washington Capitals: the Blues Remain One of the Strongest Teams

St. Louis lost to Pittsburgh, leading by two goals by the end of the second period. Now Craig Berube’s team will have a home match with Washington. Will the Blues cope with a powerful capital squad? Let’s choose several options for the bet.

The match against Pittsburgh for Craig Berube’s team was the next after the Winter Classic. As part of an outdoor away meeting, St. Louis beat Minnesota 6:4. Perhaps the forces spent on the Target Field the Bluesmen lacked in the fight with the Penguins. St. Louis led 3:1 but conceded a goal at the end of the second period. In the third, the opponent scored three more times. 3:5 – St. Louis, it seems, could achieve more in Pittsburgh.

Despite the loss, the Blues is still one of the shadow championship favourites. The team already won the Stanley Cup 3 years ago, so it has some experience. Currently, St. Louis is 3rd in the West, one win behind the leading Vegas in the conference.

The situation in the West in terms of the fight for the playoffs is much tenser. In the East, eight teams broke away from their pursuers and, most likely, in the second half of the season, they will play the final seeding before the post-season. Washington is among the leaders. Under the great sniper Alexander Ovechkin, Peter Laviolette’s team has won 20 matches out of 34, takes 4th place in the conference standings, and, having won only 2-3 games, can top the East.

Washington unexpectedly lost at home to the outsider in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils, in the previous game. Losing 1:3 to the 53rd minute, the Capitals heroically fought back but missed the decisive goal in overtime – 3:4.

St. Louis has not lost in regular time for ten matches at home, having won 9 times. Craig Berube’s team may manage with Washington. The Capitals do not always have enough stamina to hold full games. The Capitals are powerful at peak moments, and the Bluesmen are more stable on the road. In addition, after the disappointing defeat from Pittsburgh, St. Louis has the motivation to beat Washington. Prediction: St. Louis is likely to win.