Carolina at Washington

Carolina has a winning road record and outscored opponents by +22 this season with a top-notch defense, ranked seventh in goals allowed, and eighth in penalty killing. The Hurricanes are on a 21-10 run overall, including 12-5 on the road. They dropped Game 1 in a close one, but outshot the defending champs 29-17. They match up well with a Washington squad that outscored opponents by +29 this season. The Caps are strong on offense, fifth in goals scored, but the defense has slipped, ranking #17 in goals allowed, #24 in penalty killing. Washington is 83-69 OVER the total against teams averaging 29.5+ shots on goal. A year ago in the first round the Capitals played four overtime games against Columbus, including a pair of 4-3 and 5-4 defeats. The road team is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these squads, so back the visitors in an offensive show. Play Carolina and the OVER.