Plenty of goals in last night's fast-paced Toronto 5-4 win over Florida...might this series trend the same? Interestingly, the Canes and Caps cleared 5.5 goals in three of their four meetings this season. Charlie Lindgren started in goal three of those times for Washington. Logan Thompson in the nets tonight, though mostly we suspect the Carolina defense to be put under more pressure in this series by the Caps' weapons than the Devils in the first round, when New Jersey was 0 for 15 on the power play. Freddy Andersen back in goal for Carolina but his durability remains a question, and a lot more big-game firepower (Ovechkin, Strome, etc) for the Caps than the Devils. Play Canes-Caps Over.

I came into the second round of the NHL Playoffs a little surprised both Toronto and Washington were home underdogs in Game 1. I'm going to jump on Washington +1 (-154) at BetRivers. Carolina is just 17-21-5 on the road this season. While I lean the Canes to win the series, they are a bit overvalued in Game 1. Washington and Carolina split their four regular-season games, with both teams winning their games on home ice. However, Washington goaltender Logan Thompson played just one period vs. the Canes due to injury. Thompson was excellent vs. Montreal with a 2.23 goals against and .923 save percentage. If you can't get Washington +1, consider taking the Caps on the ML for a half unit.

The second round in the East has already seen a Game One home underdog win. Can the Caps do the same? Washington fended off pesky Montreal in five games, though Spencer Carbery noted some things that need some work, like the penalty kill, which registered only at 66.7% in the first round. The Canes' were a perfect 15 for 15 on the PK vs. the Devils. It's a different situation here, as the Caps will bring more heat than New Jersey, especially with Alex Ovechkin firing away and Dylan Strome the unsung star of Round 1. These two split four in the regular season. GK Freddy Andersen is available for Carolina, though his durability remains a question. Play Caps on Money Line.

Interesting that the team with the most points in the East is a home dog in Game 1 of this conference semifinal. They split four RS meetings, each sweeping at home. Caps No. 1 netminder Logan Thompson barely played in the season series. He was stellar at home in Round 1 against Montreal, stopping 86 of 90 shots (.956 save percentage) and allowed two goals or fewer in all three games in D.C. Hold the Canes to no more than two here, and I'm quite confident we at worst push.