Ducks Will Regroup And Deliver Against Capitals

Ducks vs. Capitals, 7:00 ET

With all the hoopla surrounding the NFL regular season ending, and the College Football Playoffs (and Bowl Games), it was hard for me to find time to write about anything other than football. I'm not complaining. Give me all the pigskin you can give me, but I also like a bit of variety. Now that we have some breaks in the schedule, let's get down to some business on the ice. Tonight's game between the Ducks and Capitals has a good look that should line our pockets with some spending money in early 2026.

The Ducks enter tonight's game with a 21-17-3 record. I'm not quite sure when they went back to the awesome logo for their team, but I'm glad they switched it. This is the same as the animated Mighty Ducks, and frankly, it might be the coolest in hockey. What does that have to do with the game or the success of the team? Nothing, I guess, but it was still a note worth sharing. For the season, the team hasn't been very successful away from the pond, but not a disaster either, going 9-9-2. They have been in terrible form lately, having lost five straight games and nine of their last 11 contests. Their goal scoring is taking a big hit lately as they've scored two or fewer in three of the past five. They also have scored three or fewer goals in eight of the last 11 games. Only three of those games have been within a puckline victory as well, so when they are losing, they are losing big. Petr Mrazek will mind the net for the Ducks tonight and he has been pretty poor overall. He is just 3-4-0 for the season with a 3.78 goals allowed per game average and a .865 save percentage.  

Nov 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) warms up before a game against the against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. (Rob Gray-Imagn Images) 

The Capitals have put together a pretty similar season in terms of record. They are 21-15-6 overall for the year, and are just 12-7-3 at home this season. They also aren't in the best form at the moment, but certainly better than the Ducks. Washington is 2-3 over their past five games. For the season, the Capitals are doing a great job of scoring at 3.21 goals per game, but their defense has been even more impressive, holding opponents to just 2.76 goals allowed. A stat that I personally like to see is that they are taking more shots than their opponents. Out of everything that stands out for the team is that Alex Ovechkin is just third on the team in goals scored. Father time is undefeated, but it is still strange to see. It is still early. The Capitals will send Charlie Lindgren to the net tonight, he is 6-4-2 for the season with a 3.07 goals against per game average and a .887 save percentage. 

This will be the third game of the new year for the Capitals, while it will only be the second four the Ducks. Anaheim had plenty of time to travel and reset, meaning they should be ready for this game. It isn't like the Capitals goalie is substantially better than the Ducks. He hasn't even played all that well at home this season. I think this is a game the Ducks can get right in. You always want to stop the bleeding as much as  possible, and with the rest advantage they should have plenty of time to prepare for this one. Give me Anaheim to win the game. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024