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As the Washington Capitals gear up to face off against the Nashville Predators on New Year's Eve, fans are holding their breath for what promises to be a pivotal moment in their season. The Capitals have had a rough patch recently, and this upcoming game at Capital One Arena could be just what they need to turn things around.

Looking back at their last game on December 30th against the New York Islanders, it was clear that Washington struggled with puck control, as evidenced by their 11 giveaways and a mere four takeaways. Their shooting percentage sat low at four percent, which is something they'll desperately need to improve upon if they hope to outscore Nashville. Moreover, with a faceoff win percentage of only 41 percent against the Islanders and an even lower 37 percent in their December 24th clash with Tampa Bay Lightning, it's evident that winning draws has been an Achilles' heel for this team.

The defensive side didn't fare much better in recent outings; they ended up with a minus-20 plus/minus rating versus New York Islanders—a stark indicator of how often players were caught on the ice for opposing goals. This statistic alone should ring alarm bells for coach Peter Laviolette as he prepares his team defensively against Nashville.

However, not all is doom and gloom for WSH fans. Despite these setbacks, there are glimmers of hope—especially between the pipes. Goaltending has been solid; save percentages were perfect (100 percent) in both losses mentioned above despite facing over thirty shots each game. This resilience from their netminders provides WSH with a strong foundation to build upon heading into this crucial matchup.

On offense, while goals have been hard to come by recently—with just one goal scored in each of those two games—their shot count remains high (27 shots on goal against both Islanders and Rangers). If WSH can maintain this offensive pressure while increasing accuracy and perhaps getting more traffic in front of Nashville's goaltender to create havoc and screen shots, it could very well translate into more scoring opportunities.

The Predators will not make it easy though; they're known for being tenacious competitors who won't give up much ground easily. But if there's ever a time for WSH stars like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom to step up—it's now.

As we look ahead toward December 31st when these two teams collide at Capital One Arena—fans should expect an intense battle where every shift counts. It’s going to take grit, determination, and perhaps most importantly—execution—for Washington Capitals to secure victory before ringing in the new year.

Fans eager not only celebrate but also witness whether WSH can indeed rebound from recent stumbles can catch all action live: ESPN+ will stream nationally while BSSO broadcasts away coverage on channel 646-1; MNMT takes care of home viewership via channel 642 starting promptly at midnight Eastern Time as per scheduled kickoff time.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins