Flames Favs Over Caps
Calgary, Alberta – The Washington Capitals blew an opportunity for a win in their last game when they let a one-goal lead slip away.
The Calgary Flames did the same, losing a two-goal advantage en route to another defeat.
Both teams will try to bounce back Tuesday night at the Pengrowth Saddledome, with the Capitals (3-1-1) looking to regain their early season momentum in a matchup with the struggling Flames – a team they haven’t lost to in nine years.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Calgary -120 money line favorites (NHL Odds) for today’s game, the over/under has been set at 5.5 goals (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 73% of bets for this game have been placed on Calgary -120 (View NHL Bet Percentages).
Washington (3-1-1) had its three-game winning streak snapped Saturday, losing 4-3 at home in a shootout to New Jersey. The Capitals were unable to hold a 2-1 lead after two periods and missed numerous opportunities to take control of the game, going 1-for-8 with the man advantage.
"I think our power play was definitely out of sync," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau told the team’s official Web site. "We will work on it and everything else. Maybe I’m trying to put too many guys on it, and I’m going to have to stick with a certain amount of guys and the others guys are going to have to bide their time."
The Caps’ Alexander Semin continued his hot start with two goals, including the tying score at 14:49 of the third period that sent the game to overtime. Semin, among the league leaders with six goals, had 26 last season.
Alex Ovechkin broke a two-game pointless streak with an assist against the Devils. Ovechkin, who has two goals on the season, scored twice in his last appearance against the Flames, a 3-2 win March 12.
Calgary lost back-to-back one-goal games to Edmonton on Friday and Saturday and is off to its worst five-game start since 2005-06, when it also opened 1-3-1.
In Saturday’s 3-2 defeat, the Flames outshot the Oilers 17-3 in the first period and led 2-0 on power-play goals from Todd Bertuzzi and Daymond Langkow. Edmonton, though, responded with three goals in a 3:56 span of the second, outshooting Calgary 14-6 in the period.
The Flames’ poor start is due in part to goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff’s struggles. Kiprusoff has a 4.37 goals-against average, up from 2.69 in 2007-08, and was victimized by the Oilers during the decisive second period Saturday.
"You’re always concerned about giving up any lead; a one-goal lead or a two-goal lead or whatever the lead may be, particularly when you have earned it on the road,” Flames coach Mike Keenan said. "We went out and earned it in the first period and we weren’t able to find that instinct or that ability to put it past their goaltender, who I thought played really well.”
Flames captain Jarome Iginla had a goal and an assist in each of his last three games against Washington, but those performances haven’t been enough to keep the head-to-head series from being completely one-sided of late. The Caps have six wins and two ties in the last eight meetings since a 5-4 overtime loss to the Flames on March 13, 1999.
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Posted: 10/20/08 11:27 PM
