Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers: game preview
WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12that
FloridaPanthers2026-27: 2-0-2 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 40-38-4 · 84 pts · 25thEleven points apart last season
Washington finished last season 12th in the league on 95 points. Florida finished 25th on 84.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 156
Across 155 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 79-55-21.
Last 5 meetings
See all: Last 5 meetings →The table on each 2025-26 meeting night
League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 13 Nov 2025, Washington were 27th in the league and Florida 21st. By 17 Jan 2026 it was 15th and 17th.
Florida out-attempted Washington 197 to 188
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Washington Capitals
Florida Panthers
Florida have created the better chances, last 10 games
Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.
This season: 2 games for Washington, 4 for Florida. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Washington, 10 for Florida.
2025-26: 82 games for Washington, 82 for Florida.
Power play and penalty kill, season and series
This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.
All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings
Washington
Small sampleFlorida
Small sampleSkaters to watch
Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.
Who has stopped this matchup
Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.
Expected starter after their game on 2 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Expected starter after their game on 1 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.
Washington crease
WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 31 Jan
No appearances against Florida in the last meetings.
Florida crease
FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 31 Jan
No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.
Scoring rates point to about 6.0 goals
No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.
Goals in the last 5 meetings
Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.
Scoring rates
Washington3.002.503.212.98
Florida2.002.003.063.37Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.
8 on the injury lists
Washington · injuries
Florida · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Placed G Clay Stevenson, D Louie Belpedio, C Mike Brodzinski and RW Spencer Smallman on waivers. Released G Cal Petersen and D Jonathan McDonald from their professional tryout agreements. Assigned LW Maxim Schäfer to Cape Breton (QMJHL).
Placed G Clay Stevenson, D Louie Belpedio, C Mike Brodzinski and RW Spencer Smallman on waivers. Released G Cal Petersen from his professional tryout agreement.
Placed D Justin Holl on waivers for the purpose of being loaned to Hershey (AHL).
Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).
Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.
Placed RW/C Cole Schwindt, RD Alexander Petrovic, LD Donovan Sebrango, LW Kai Schwindt, LW Cole Reinhardt, RW Sam Lafferty and C/LW John Beecher on waivers. Agreed to terms with RW Nathan Bastian on a 1-year, two-way contract.
Washington · 2026 draft
See all: Washington · 2026 draft →Florida · 2026 draft
See all: Florida · 2026 draft →
Updated after every final