WASHINGTON D.C. – In the nation’s capital.
Starting off their three-game road trip, the Florida Panthers will visit the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
“That’s just part of the NHL schedule,” Sam Bennett said of the early afternoon back-to-backs. “Sometimes you get those games and some sometimes it’s nice to just wake up and go play hockey.”
Going 2-1-0 on the recent homestand, the Panthers improved to 9-5-2 after their 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
For the home team, the Capitals come into Saturday’s tilt with an 8-6-0 record.
Currently on a two-game skid on their homestand, Washington fell 6-5 to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Trailing 4-0 in the second period, the late comeback fell just short as Jordan Kyrou notched three points (1G, 2A) for the Capitals in the loss.
For more information on today’s game, continue below.
EYE ON THE CATS
VERHAEGHE POINT STREAK
Carter Verhaeghe is racking up the points. Currently on a five-game point streak, the Panthers forward has seven points (3G, 4A), 16 shots and a +3 plus/minus rating in that span. Verhaeghe leads the Panthers with two game-winning goals and a 26.5% shooting percentage.
VILMANIS CATCHING STRIDE
The young Latvian forward has been all over the ice as of late. In Wednesday’s win over Chicago, Sandis Vilmanis recorded four points (2G, 2A) and a +3 plus/minus rating. Over the last two games, Vilmanis has five points (2G, 3A), three shots, and a +4 plus/minus rating.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Packing the bags again, the Panthers have already logged 10 of their 16 games on the road this season. Owning a 5-3-2 record while away, Florida’s 23.5% power play and 84.4% penalty kill on the road both rank among the top ten in the NHL.
FIVE KEY STATS
1. Cole Schwindt has won 62.7% of his faceoffs.
2. The Panthers have a 23.5% power play on the road this season.
3. Matthew Tkachuk leads the team with 12 power play points.
4. Sam Reinhart has a team-high 52 shots.
5. Gustav Forsling is averaging 3:32 shorthanded time on ice a game.
THEY SAID IT
“He’s an elite player in this league and has been for a long time. He’s one of the offensive drivers on this team. When he’s going, usually our team is going as well.” – Sam Bennett on Sam Reinhart’s play
“It’s a great perspective of how incredibly difficult it is to be that good.” – Paul Maurice on Alex Ovechkin’s longevity
“Normal breakfast, maybe a little more oatmeal than normal. A couple cups of coffee and should be ready to go.” – Niko Mikkola on playing in early games
OPPOSITION OUTLOOK
- Lighting the lamp often, Alex Tuch is leading the way in Washington with 10 goals on the season. The first-year Capital also leads the NHL in game-winning goals with five.
- Jakob Chychrun has racked up the minutes for the Capitals this season. Averaging a team-high 24:41 time on ice a game, the Florida native ranks fourth amongst all Washington skaters with 11 points (2G, 9A).
- In net, the Capitals will either go with Logan Thompson or Charlie Lindgren. This season, Thompson owns a 5-4-0 record, .887 save percentage, and 3.22 goals against average. Lindgren sits at a 3-2-0 record, .881 save percentage, and 3.08 save percentage.
- Washington’s 3.50 goals per game ranks ninth in the NHL. A similar rate at home, the Capitals are averaging 3.70 goals at Capital One Arena.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Stay tuned closer to puck drop for lineup updates.
