The Washington Capitals (22-19-7) aim to steal a tough win on the road, but face a much-better Florida Panthers (31-15-4) team on Thursday, February 8, at 7:00 PM ET at Amerant Bank Center in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers are favored to find success with a puck line currently at -1.5 (+105).

The Capitals have not had positive momentum in their last five games, losing all of those matchups. Their most recent defeat was a 5-2 performance against the Montreal Canadiens and marked their fourth consecutive game of allowing five goals or more.

Dylan Strome is leading their offense with 33 points and 19 goals. In addition, John Carlson has landed 26 assists. Together they will need to have an outstanding performance to stimulate the offense.

The Capitals, on average, score 2.38 goals and make 27.6 shots per game. While their power play shows room for improvement with a 14.2 power play percentage, capitalizing on those opportunities is key for their success.

Defensively, they concede an average of 3.06 goals and face 30.5 shot attempts per game, presenting a less favorable comparison to their offensive performance. Additionally, their penalty kill percentage of 79.3 remains solid against the Panthers.

The Panthers are coming off a 2-1 defeat against the Philadelphia Flyers, which snapped their four-game win streak. Do they have what it takes to get back on track?

Their offense aims to answer that question, especially with Sam Reinhart leading them with 62 points and 37 goals. They also have great support from Aleksander Barkov, who leads with 37 assists.

The Panthers consistently achieve an average of 3.16 goals per game, launching 34.1 shots and showcasing a strong offensive performance. Their effectiveness on the power play is evident, with 40 goals scored and 29 allowed, resulting in a competitive 24.1 power play percentage. If they can create similar opportunities in this game, they have a strong chance of winning.

Defensively, they concede an average of 2.56 goals and face 27.2 shots per game, creating a favorable balance with their offensive capabilities. Additionally, they possess an 82.8 penalty kill percentage that could have a significant impact.

Bookmaker has the up to date NHL betting odds, offering the Florida Panthers as a 1.5-puck line favorite at home. The last time they played was back in November of last year, with the Panthers winning 4-3 in overtime.

This time, the Panthers will be in the comfort of their home. They are 14-8-2 here, while the Capitals are 9-11-3 on the road. Look for the Panthers to find success with their appealing defense to help push their margin of victory by at least two goals.