The Florida Panthers spoke in cliches and hyperbole in the lead-up to their matchup with the Washington Capitals on Thursday. Radko Gudas called it “the biggest game of the season” on Tuesday. Carter Verhaeghe on Tuesday said it would be “like a playoff game.” It’s what a game like this one — with only a few dozen games left in the regular season, and the Panthers and Capitals separated by mere percentage points in the standings — engendered.
Amid all the hype, Florida delivered in Washington. The Panthers manhandledbuilt a big early lead and hung on to beat the Capitals, 6-3. They led almost wire-to-wire and were doubling up Washington in shots into the second period.
For the first time in months, Florida is in close to complete control of its postseason destiny, tied with the Capitals for the second wild card. Although it still trails Washington in points percentage, Florida has one game left against the Capitals in April, again on the road.
