Winter Classic 2015: Full Preview and Predictions for Blackhawks vs. Capitals

Nothing signifies New Year's Day quite like the NHL Winter Classic, an adored annual traditional where hockey goes outside to celebrate the calendar's changing.

Thursday's match pits a colossal battle between the Washington Capitals versus Chicago Blackhawks inside the nation's capital. While Washington brings the star power in Alex Ovechkin, Chicago leads the league in point differential (plus-39) at 25-10-2. The 2010 and 2013 Stanley Cup champions are looking like stout contenders to add another trophy to the mantle.

Can Washington top Chicago for the second time this season? Let's take a look at the afternoon clash.

Winter Classic Info

When: Thursday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.

TV: NBC

Preview

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Has a game ever been delayed on account of it being too beautiful outside? Well, there's always a first for everything; the sunny conditions could cause some safety hazards on the ice.

Defenseman Mike Green described the challenges endured during Wednesday's practice to the Associated Press' Joseph White:

"

It was pretty bad. Once you got on the ice and were skating around, it took about five or 10 minutes for guys to adjust, and it wasn't easy to see pucks on the ice. It should be tough on the goalies if that's the case tomorrow.

"

Karl Alzner found a solution typically reserved for the MLB players patrolling the outfield at Nationals Park. Per ESPN's Katie Strang, the league will indeed allow players to don sunglasses on the rink.

If simultaneously ice skating and playing a sport wasn't enough, now they have to battle a glare in order to see. Despite the outdoor gimmick, it's important to remember that this remains a regular-season game that counts the same as the rest.

After missing the playoffs altogether last season, the Capitals are barely holding on with 43 points. Even when they orchestrated a 3-2 upset on Nov. 7, they mustered 25 shots on goal to the Blackhawks' 40.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are as ferocious as ever. As noted by SB Nation's Second City Hockey, the club has caught fire ever since falling to its upcoming opponent.

The advanced stats support their title candidacy as well. Per Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com, Chicago leads the league with a 55.6 Corsi For Percentage, a metric that measures teams' offensive efficiency generating shots on goal. Hockey-Reference.com appraises them with the highest team rating—taking into account goal differential and strength of schedule—by a wide margin.

Rank	Team	SRS
1	Chicago Blackhawks	1.14
2	Nashville Predators	0.76
3	Pittsburgh Penguins	0.63
4	Tampa Bay Lightning	0.58
5	St. Louis Blues	0.45

Washington's major offensive strength lies in power plays, where it ranks No. 5 with a 22.9 conversion percentage. Unfortunately for the Eastern Conference club, the Blackhawks happen to derail opponents short-handed at a NHL-best 90.9 percent clip.

Despite limiting Chicago to one score in three attempts last time, Washington places just No. 25 in power-play defense. Those are the breaks that need to fall the Capitals' way to survive again, but a return to the mean bodes well for the Western Conference juggernaut. 

The Blackhawks' stingy defense tops the chart in both goals allowed per game (2.08) and save percentage (.928). Yet Corey Crawford, who has started 22 of 38 games in the net, sports a lower save percentage and goals allowed average than both Antti Raanta and Scott Darling. 

In four games since returning from a foot injury, the 30-year-old—who just reached the milestone on Wednesday, so happy birthday—has yielded 11 goals with a .887 save percentage. An off day from the returning starter presents Washington's best shot at stealing a victory, but he should hold down the fort enough for his stellar supporting cast to secure the win.

Prediction: Blackhawks 4, Capitals 2