Panthers hit Washington with road points on the line

The Florida Panthers visit the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon, the first of two matinees between these teams in November.

Florida shows up at 9-5-2 with 20 points, 11th in the NHL, after beating Chicago 5-3 on Wednesday. Washington is coming off a 5-6 loss to Dallas on Tuesday and has dropped two straight.

The Panthers have been fine away from home. They're 5-3-2 on the road and 4-2-0 at home, so this trip isn't a problem to solve, just a chance to keep stacking points. Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers' trip to Washington is already a story in itself.

The standings say Florida is 5th in the Atlantic, and the 7-3-0 run over the last 10 explains why. The goal differential is only +5, though, which means the margin is thinner than the record suggests.

Washington sits 8-6-0 and 4th in the Metropolitan. The Capitals are 6-4-0 at home, and their goal count tells you these games get open: 49 for, 48 against.

The Capitals' own preview calls Saturday the finale of their three-game homestand, and it notes this is the first of the two matinee meetings with Florida in November.

What Florida must fix before the second matinee

Start with goals against. The Panthers have allowed 47 this season, and they gave up three to Chicago, a team that has lost five straight. Washington just scored six against Dallas, so tightening up early is the whole game.

Carbery wasn't shy about what worries him. He spoke about facing the Panthers tomorrow afternoon, Dylan Strome's playmaking and the value of Boone Jenner's veteran presence.

Strome has 14 points in 14 games, with four of them coming on the power play. Jenner has 6 goals. Florida's penalty discipline matters here, because the Panthers can't hand a playmaker like that extra room.

On the other side, the special teams battle favors Florida if it stays out of the box. Sam Reinhart has 6 power-play goals of his 9 this season, and Washington has to know it.

Depth is the bigger question. Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand are both listed on injured reserve with knee injuries, and Paul Maurice's update on Barkov and Marchand made clear he doesn't expect either to play. According to the latest injury report, Marchand is out until at least Nov 21 and Barkov until at least Nov 27.

Quick hits

CALGARY FLAMESKevin Bahl is out with a lower body injury and won't play tonight against the Ducks, the Flames just announced. Losing a defenseman right before puck drop is never ideal.

BOSTON BRUINSMikey Eyssimont is back in the lineup after missing a game with a puck to the mouth, Mark Divver reported. Good news for a bottom six that wanted him back.

UTAH MAMMOTHKailer Yamamoto has been placed on injured reserve, NHL Rosters reported. Utah will have to find the depth elsewhere.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNINGElliotte Friedman said tonight he doesn't know if Nikita Kucherov has any chance of landing with the Blackhawks, but Connor Bedard needs that kind of player. The chatter keeps growing.

EDMONTON OILERSIain MacIntyre reported that Elias Pettersson credits a healthier Canucks environment ahead of Saturday's game in Edmonton. The Oilers need a strong home response.