Florida Panthers Have a Challenging Road Ahead, Visit Capitals Today

November 7, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

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The Florida Panthers had a rough start to their road schedule this season.

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It is not getting any easier.

Florida opens up a three-game trip this afternoon in Washington and, once it wraps up in Columbus on Tuesday, the Panthers will have played 13 of their first 19 away from Sunrise.

If the season ended today, Florida would squeak into a wild-card playoff spot.

Yet, of Florida’s 16 games played to date, only four have been against teams currently in a playoff position: Carolina (OT win), Seattle (W), Ottawa (L), and Minnesota (L).

The four wins in the last five games – two against Chicago and two against Winnipeg – came against teams playing well under .500 hockey. Sandwiched within those wins was a loss to Detroit minus star Dylan Larkin.

Their losses to an improved Ottawa team and a struggling Pittsburgh team on the last road trip were lopsided affairs.

Atlantic Division leader Boston will be the toughest opponent in the upcoming three-game journey, but Washington and Columbus cannot be ignored.

Washington and Boston are on successive afternoons which is a break of sorts because it allows them to arrive in Boston at a reasonable hour and get a full night’s rest.

One guy who appreciates the matinees is Niko Mikkola.

“It’s prime time in Finland so everybody – friends and family – can watch it a little bit easier,’’ he said before Friday’s flight. “I really like those games.”

The upcoming schedule is so tight that it leaves little time between games for rest or practice.

Paul Maurice put the Panthers to work on Friday morning, perhaps because their next practice is not “until the 19th of November” he said.

That is a whopping thirteen days between practices.

Lineup adjustments will have to be rehearsed at the morning pregame skates.

For today, Maurice will probably not make any lineup changes after the Chicago win.

“Not planned as of now,’’ he said. “I’ve got a couple of game-timers. We’ll see.”

Boston is now 12-4-1 and is atop the Atlantic Division. David Pastrnak has eight goals and 22 points in 17 games. He has always performed well against Florida.

Alex Ovechkin may no longer be the player we knew but the Caps have Dylan Strome and newly acquired Jordan Kyrouand Alex Tuch all enjoying good starts this season.

Columbus is getting surprisingly good production from veterans Kent Johnson and Charlie Coyle. Their backbone is the perennial high scoring defender Zach Werenski, last year’s Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman.

Washington is in the top half of the NHL in offensive production while Columbus is near the bottom.

Of the top dozen offensive teams in the NHL, Florida has only played one to date: Carolina.

Florida, with a relatively weak schedule to now, is mid-pack, averaging 3.25 goals for per game.

Defensively, Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid played well, keeping the team goals against average under 3.00 and in the NHL’s top 10.

A point earned early in the season is just as valuable as a point earned later. The Panthers will have to stockpile as many points as they can now because while travel might ease up the opposition will be tougher as the season progresses.

ON DECK: GAME No. 17FLORIDA PANTHERS at WASHINGTON CAPITALS

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena; Washington, DC
Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM. Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM, NHL App
This Season — At Washington: Saturday; Nov. 27. At Florida: Feb. 3
Last Season: Panthers won 3-0
All-time Regular Season Series: Washington leads 70-49-14, 9 ties
Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday vs. Boston Bruins, 1 p.m.

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