The Capitals and Senators are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Senators will host the game at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON. The Capitals are favored by -1.5 in this Eastern conference contest against the Senators. The game’s over/under currently sits at 5.5 goals. After a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes, the Capitals are now 29-10-5. Washington’s defense struggled, allowing 44 shots on goal, while their offense failed to score after the first period. Washington entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line. The Capitals trailed 1-0 before Alex Ovechkin scored with 44 seconds left in the first period. They added another goal just

With both teams fighting to stay in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders will face off on Thursday night in Elmont, N.Y. The Flyers (44 points) are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Despite holding a one-goal lead in the third period after Owen Tippett’s go-ahead goal, Philadelphia allowed Columbus to force overtime and ultimately lost in the shootout. The result prevented the Flyers from making up ground in the playoff race, where they trail the Blue Jackets (48 points), as well as the Senators (47 points) and Canadiens (46 points). The loss snapped Philadelphia’s modest two-game winning streak, which included an impressive 4-3 comeback victory over

The red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets will aim for their sixth straight victory when they host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night. Columbus (8-2-0 in its last 10 games) is finding ways to win, even when not at its best. That was evident in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, in which the Blue Jackets squandered a third-period lead but responded in overtime and the shootout. Zach Werenski led the charge with two goals, while Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko sealed the win in the shootout. Goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 23 saves in his first start since Dec. 28. Werenski is enjoying a career-best season, leading all NHL defensemen with 50 points in 44 games. His 17-game home

The Detroit Red Wings are surging under new coach Todd McLellan, but they’ll face a tough test on Thursday when they visit the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. Since McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26, the Red Wings are 7-2-0 and have climbed back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. However, their momentum took a hit on Tuesday when they suffered a disappointing 6-3 home loss to the lowly San Jose Sharks. “That was a disappointing night for our group,” McLellan said. “It’s a new experience for us in our few weeks here. I’m anxious to see if we respond.” Detroit’s turnaround has been fueled by improved offense and more confidence, as star forward Patrick