Early look · NHL 2026-27

Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals: game preview

FloridaPanthers2026-27: 2-0-2 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 40-38-4 · 84 pts · 25that

WashingtonCapitals2026-27: 1-1-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-30-9 · 95 pts · 12th

Puck drop27 Nov · 3:00 PM ET

VenueCapital One Arena

All-time meetings155 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Eleven points apart last season

Florida finished last season 25th in the league on 84 points. Washington finished 12th on 95.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 156

Across 155 completed games, Washington lead the head-to-head 79-55-21.

All-time record79-55-21Washington's record in the series

Meetings played155This is number 156

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2Florida

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

17 Jan 2026FLA 5 – WSH 2——FLA

29 Dec 2025WSH 3 – FLA 5——FLA

13 Nov 2025WSH 3 – FLA 6——FLA

22 Mar 2025FLA 3 – WSH 6——WSH

4 Feb 2025FLA 3 – WSH 6——WSH

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateFloridaWashington

13 Nov 20259-7-1 · 19 pts21st8-8-1 · 17 pts27th

29 Dec 202521-15-2 · 44 pts13th20-14-5 · 45 pts12th

17 Jan 202625-19-3 · 53 pts17th24-19-6 · 54 pts15th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 13 Nov 2025, Florida were 21st in the league and Washington 27th. By 17 Jan 2026 it was 17th and 15th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Florida out-attempted Washington 197 to 188

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Florida Panthers

197 att · 88 on goal · 16 G · 18.2%

Crease17 att · 3 G

Slot85 att · 6 G

Wing59 att · 2 G

Point29 att · 2 G

Neutral zone7 att · 3 G

Washington Capitals

188 att · 91 on goal · 8 G · 8.8%

Crease12 att · 0 G

Slot73 att · 4 G

Wing58 att · 1 G

Point35 att · 3 G

Neutral zone10 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

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.

FloridaWashington

3.01xG for per game2.48

2.34xG against per game4.09

56.3%xG share37.7%

−4.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.0

+1.4GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.2

This season: 4 games for Florida, 2 for Washington. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

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

Florida

Small sample

Power play · 2026-274.3%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 19th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2778.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.0% · 9th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.2% · 115/229

Drawn · 2026-2723 (5.75/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Washington

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2617.8% · 25th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2788.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.1% · 14th

Faceoffs · 2026-2746.4% · 51/110

Drawn · 2026-274 (2.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Florida

Expected starter after their game on 25 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Washington

Expected starter after their game on 25 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Florida crease

FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 24 Nov

Jacob Markstrom.9273 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.2

Akira Schmid.8751 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −1.0

No appearances against Washington in the last meetings.

Washington crease

WSH · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 24 Nov

Charlie Lindgren.9311 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx +1.4

Logan Thompson.9391 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Florida in the last meetings.

Totals

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

17 Jan 20267 · FLA 5–2 WSH

29 Dec 20258 · WSH 3–5 FLA

13 Nov 20259 · WSH 3–6 FLA

22 Mar 20259 · FLA 3–6 WSH

4 Feb 20259 · FLA 3–6 WSH

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Florida2.002.003.063.37

Washington3.002.503.212.98

Goals 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.

Scoring rates suggest6.0Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings8.4Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

8 on the injury lists

Florida · injuries

Aaron EkbladPersonalOutReturn10 Oct

Aleksander BarkovLower BodyIRReturn27 Nov

Brad MarchandLegDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct

Jonah GadjovichUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct

MacKenzie EntwistleUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Washington · injuries

Matt RoyLower BodyDay-to-dayReturn7 Oct

Patrick ThomasUpper BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Rasmus SandinKneeIRReturn26 Dec

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · FLA

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.

27 Sep · WSH

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).

27 Sep · WSH

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.

26 Sep · WSH

Placed D Justin Holl on waivers for the purpose of being loaned to Hershey (AHL).

Injury report

Florida · 2026 draft

See all: Florida · 2026 draft →

#40Simas IgnataviciusRound 2 · GeneveRW

#48Ryder CaliRound 2 · North BayC

#98Jonas KempsRound 4 · ChicagoD

#168Vilho VanhataloRound 6 · Tappara Jr.RW

Full draft

Washington · 2026 draft

See all: Washington · 2026 draft →

#18Oliver SuvantoRound 1 · TapparaC

#101Tyus SparksRound 4 · SpokaneC

#144Brian McFaddenRound 5 · Thayer AcademyD

#208Logan StuartRound 7 · Usa U-18C

Full draft

Friday 27 November · the full slate

See all: Friday 27 November · the full slate →

WSHThis game 3:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals: game preview

Eleven points apart last season

Meeting number 156

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Florida out-attempted Washington 197 to 188

Florida Panthers

Washington Capitals

Florida have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Florida

Washington

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Florida crease

Washington crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

8 on the injury lists

Florida · injuries

Washington · injuries

Latest moves

Florida · 2026 draft

Washington · 2026 draft

Friday 27 November · the full slate