The Florida Panthers (41-31-7) will be looking to extend their winning run when they head to take on the stumbling Washington Capitals (34-35-9) at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Florida is coming off a high-scoring 7-2 win over the Senators on Thursday, their fifth consecutive win. The Panthers committed 17 penalties in the game, though they held Ottawa without a power play goal.
Aleksander Barkov was the top goalscorer for the Panthers with two goals. Brandon Montour had a goal and three assists to lead the team in scoring. Alex Lyon saved an impressive 56 of 58 shots (.965%) in the win.Washington dropped their fifth in a row, falling 6-2 to the Canadiens on Thursday.
Dylan Strome and Nicklas Backstrom both scored once for the Capitals. Strome added an assist to lead the team in scoring. Darcy Kuemper only had 26 saves on 31 shots against (.838%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Panthers have won both games between the teams this season, including a 6-3 victory in their most recent meeting in February, their fifth straight win against Washington. Anton Lundell led Florida with three points (1G 2A). Erik Gustafsson led Washington with three points (0G 3A). Sergei Bobrovsky got the win, saving 29 of 32 shots (.906%).
FACING OFF
Florida is averaging 3.53 goals per game for the season, fifth in the NHL, and they are taking on a Capitals team that is allowing 3.14 goals a game (17th).
Meanwhile, Washington has found the net 3.08 times a game on average, 20th in the league, and the Panthers are allowing opponents to score 3.32 goals per game (22nd).
Florida averages more shots per game (36.6) than any other team in the league, though the team’s 9.7% shooting percentage ranks 21st. Washington’s average of 31.3 attempts ranks 17th.
Power play opportunities should be plentiful for the Capitals, as the Panthers are averaging 4.75 penalties per game, most in the NHL.
The visitors’ 12.25 penalty minutes a game ranks second-highest. The home team has been penalized 3.58 times a game (20th) for an average of 8.72 minutes (13th).
The Panthers’ 22.76% power play percentage ranks 10th in the league, while the Capitals are 16th with a conversion rate of 21.34%. Washington has been more adept at penalty killing, boasting the league’s fifth-highest PK% at 82.79%. Florida ranks 26th at 75.18%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 105 points this season, fourth-most in the NHL, Matthew Tkachuk is the top skater for the Panthers. He is among the league leaders with 66 assists (7th) and has added 39 goals of his own. In the net, Bobrovsky (24-20-3) is Florida’s top goaltender by goals against average.
He has a 3.07 GAA and a .901% save percentage.Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals in scoring with 74 points. He has 42 goals (8th) and 32 assists in 72 games. Kuemper (21-26-6) has the best goals against average for Washington at 2.84. He has a save percentage of .908%.
HOME AND AWAY
Florida is pursuing a fourth consecutive win on the road this season. Washington is 17-15-6 at Capital One Arena this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Florida Panthers (-185)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
