The Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals (26-10-3) will look to extend their impressive season run when they visit the Buffalo Sabres (14-21-5) at KeyBank Center on Monday night.
The Capitals enter the contest boasting the NHL's top-ranked offense, averaging 3.72 goals per game, led by the dynamic duo of Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas who have combined for 29 goals and 48 assists this season.
Buffalo, despite struggling with a bottom-five defense allowing 3.40 goals per game, has shown offensive potential behind Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker's combined 33 goals and 31 assists.
The contrast between Washington's sixth-ranked defense (2.64 goals against per game) and Buffalo's defensive struggles could prove decisive in this matchup.
Recent history at KeyBank Center favors the visiting team, with the favorites having won the last nine meetings between these teams in Buffalo.
As these Atlantic and Metropolitan Division rivals prepare to face off, all eyes will be on the goaltending battle between Washington's Logan Thompson (.916 save percentage) and Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (.894 save percentage) in what promises to be an intriguing NHL matchup.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals: who will win?
For tonight's Buffalo Sabres vs Washington Capitals matchup, our predictive model gives the Capitals a 66.25% chance of defeating the Sabres.
Pre-game probabilities
Washington Capitals
Moneyline
Win %
66.25%
33.75%
Buffalo Sabres
Washington Capitals: 66.25% win probability
- League-leading offense (145 goals for, ranking 1st in Eastern Conference)
- Strong defensive record (104 goals against, among the best in the conference)
- Excellent recent form (WLWLW, maintaining 1st position in Metropolitan Division)
Buffalo Sabres: 33.75% win probability
- Poor defensive performance (137 goals against, 3rd worst in Atlantic Division)
- Struggling overall record (14 wins in 40 games, last in Atlantic Division)
- Inconsistent scoring (122 goals for in 40 games, below league average)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| Buffalo Sabres | Washington Capitals | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline |
Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals form
Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals head to head
Buffalo Sabres
50%
Washington Capitals
50%
Dec 15, 2024
Washington Capitals
4 : 2
Buffalo Sabres
Apr 11, 2024
Buffalo Sabres
4 : 2
Washington Capitals
Apr 2, 2024
Buffalo Sabres
6 : 2
Washington Capitals
Nov 23, 2023
Washington Capitals
4 : 3
Buffalo Sabres
Sep 24, 2023
Washington Capitals
3 : 4
Buffalo Sabres
Mar 15, 2023
Washington Capitals
5 : 4
Buffalo Sabres
