Washington Capitals vs. Los Angeles Kings: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 3/6/2023

Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

Where to watch: BSW, NBCSWA, SN1, TVAS

DraftKings: Kings -150, Capitals +130

FanDuel: Kings -150, Capitals +130

BetMGM: Kings -150, Capitals +130

Caesars: Kings -150, Capitals +130

Capitals: 31-27-6

Kings: 36-20-8

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On March 6, 2023, the Washington Capitals will travel to the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Kings. This matchup pits two teams from different conferences against each other, as the Capitals represent the Eastern Conference while the Kings hail from the Western Conference. Both teams are looking to secure a playoff spot in their respective conferences and this game could have significant implications for their postseason hopes.

 

The Capitals went the selling route at the trade deadline, and it’s weird to think that a team with Alex Ovechkin could miss the playoffs in this economy, but it’s the way life is. But Washington has won two in a row after defeating the San Jose Sharks 8-3 the other night. Overall, they’ve won three of four after losing six straight. Ovechkin scored twice to get up to 815 goals, inching closer to Wayne Gretzky.

 

"I thought the guys that jumped in had a really nice game," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "I think the response after the first period, guys came out and played a much better brand of hockey and dug in and chipped away at it and were able to score some goals in the second and get some life after that."

 

The Kings have won three straight and are coming off back-to-back home wins against St. Louis and Montreal after going 2-3 in their five-game road trip. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves for his first win as the Kings’ goalie after they acquired him for former face of the franchise Jonathan Quick.

 

One of the key matchups to watch in this game will be between the Capitals' offense and the Kings' defense. The Capitals have been one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league this season, with Ovechkin leading the way with 35 goals.

 

"I thought he looked really confident," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "Not easy to play with a new team, not understanding the calls or touches or what may or may not happen. Part of goaltending is predictability, and you're coming into a situation where you don't really know the team at all. He made some really good saves."

 

Both teams will be looking to get off to a fast start in this game, as the first goal could be crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Capitals will be looking to use their speed and skill to create scoring chances, while the Kings will be looking to play a physical, hard-nosed game and limit the Capitals' time and space.

 

Overall, this game has all the makings of a closely contested battle between two teams fighting for playoff positioning. With just a handful of games left in the regular season, every point is crucial and both teams will be leaving it all on the ice in this matchup.

 

Washington could use a confidence-booster victory, but I haven’t seen enough where the Caps can be trusted. Kings 4, Capitals 2

Capitals:

Alex Ovechkin -- Evgeny Kuznetsov -- Tom Wilson

Anthony Mantha -- Nicklas Backstrom -- Craig Smith

Sonny Milano -- Dylan Strome -- T.J. Oshie

Conor Sheary -- Nic Dowd -- Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Martin Fehervary -- Nick Jensen

Rasmus Sandin -- Trevor van Riemsdyk

Matt Irwin -- Alexander Alexeyev

Gabriel Carlsson -- Vincent Iorio

Darcy Kuemper

Kings:

Quinton Byfield -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe

Kevin Fiala -- Phillip Danault -- Viktor Arvidsson

Alex Iafallo -- Blake Lizotte -- Gabriel Vilardi

Carl Grundstrom -- Rasmus Kupari -- Arthur Kaliyev

Mikey Anderson -- Drew Doughty

Vladislav Gavrikov -- Matt Roy

Alexander Edler -- Sean Durzi

Joonas Korpisalo