WASHINGTON, D.C. – Time to wipe the slate clean.
Following a lopsided loss in the first half of their back-to-back, the Florida Panthers will wrap up their road trip against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
On Friday in Raleigh, the Panthers suffered a 9-1 loss to the Hurricanes.
“I think it’s good,” forward Anton Lundell said of the quick turnaround. “In 24 hours, we go again. Just going to get ready for tomorrow because we want to play a better game.”
Falling to 24-19-3, the Panthers surrendered six goals to the Hurricanes during a penalty-filled third period that began with Carolina scoring three straight goals on the power play.
In all situations, the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes led 37-12 in scoring chances.
“We weren’t right from the start,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “Then we found our way into the penalty box for a real tough third period. Haven’t had one of those in a long time.”
A bright spot in defeat, Sandis Vilmanis recorded the first point of his NHL career.
Appearing in just his third game with the Panthers, the 21-year-old forward notched the secondary assist on a goal for Uvis Balinskis early in the second period that made it 1-1.
Per NHL Stats, Vilmanis and Balinskis, who will be teammates at the upcoming Olympics, are the first pair of Latvian-born teammates in NHL history to both factor on the same goal.
“We’re a small country,” said Vilmanis, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. “It’s awesome that I have someone here to help me and be there on the ice with me.”
With star forwards Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk both still dealing with injuries, Maurice will provide updates on tonight’s lineup during his pregame chat at 4:15 p.m. ET.
Among the team’s healthy players that suited up against the Hurricanes, Sam Reinhart ranks first in scoring with 45 points (24G, 21A), including nine goals on the power play.
After backing up Sergei Bobrovsky in Raleigh, Daniil Tarasov will likely start in D.C.
Last manning the crease on Jan. 4 in a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, Tarasov has gone 5-6-2 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .904 save percentage this season.
Sitting at 24-18-6, the Capitals enter tonight’s matchup on the heels of a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Dylan Strome and Ryan Leonard each scored in the loss to the Sharks, who beat Washington goaltender Logan Thompson three times in the third period.
Tom Wilson, who is a game-time decision to play against the Panthers due to a lower-body injury, leads the Capitals in scoring with 42 points (22G, 20A) this season. The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin sits second on the team with 41 points (20G, 21A).
In net, the Capitals will turn to either Thompson or backup Charlie Lindgren. Thompson has gone 17-13-4 with a .915 save percentage this season, while Lindgren is 7-5-2 with a .888 save percentage.
Closing out their season series, the Panthers have gone 2-0-0 against the Capitals this season. Defending home ice each time, the Panthers won 6-3 on Nov. 13 and then 5-3 on Dec. 29, with both games being played at Amerant Bank Arena.
THEY SAID IT
“He’s earned it. He’s played well for us. He tried right straight through that whole game.” – Paul Maurice on Sandis Vilmanis earning his first NHL point
“I think we just weren’t ready for it – that speed, that aggressive hit on us. We just didn’t have our game here. It’s unfortunate.” – Sandis Vilmanis on the loss to Carolina
FIVE CATS STATS
- Since joining the Panthers, Sam Reinhart has 11 goals in 14 games against Washington.
- Aaron Ekblad is two points away from his 400th NHL point.
- The Panthers are 12-1-1 when Anton Lundell scores this season.
- Five different Panthers have tallied at least five points against the Capitals this season.
- Florida ranks eighth in the NHL on the penalty kill at 81.8%.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FORWARDS
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer
Sandis Vilmanis – Evan Rodrigues – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Cole Scwhindt – Luke Kunin
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis
Tobias Bjornfot – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Daniil Tarasov
Sergei Bobrovsky
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Jan. 16: D Uvis Balinskis agrees to terms on two-year contract extension commencing in 2026-27
- Jan. 10: F Sandis Vilmanis recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Jan. 4: D Tobias Bjornfot was recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena – Washington, DC
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click Here
