Top 3 Players to Watch in Capitals/Panthers Game 5

It’s turning point time for the Florida Panthers and their first-round playoff opponent, the Washington Capitals.

The Eastern Conference First Round matchup between the Cats and the Caps is even at two games apiece, which makes the ensuing Game 5 in Sunrise critically important to both teams.

So far in this series, it’s been Washington that has applied the pressure. The underdog Capitals claimed Game 1 and Game 3 to earn a one-game advantage in the series on two occasions.

However, no lead is safe against the Comeback Cats. The Panthers have managed to tie the series each time they’ve gone down. Most recently, Florida needed overtime but emerged from D.C. with a 3-2 victory in Game 4.

Three players to watch in Game 5 between the Panthers and Capitals.

Now, the matchup returns to Florida where the Panthers will attempt to take their first lead of the series in a game that matters more than any game either team has played all season.

In the NHL, teams that win Game 5 of a 2-2 series go on to win the series nearly 80% of the time, making this game one that both Florida and Washington desperately need.

The Panthers, who have not won a playoff series since 1996, do not want to head back to D.C. with a chance to be eliminated. Washington, meanwhile, is looking for its first series victory since the 2018 Stanley Cup Final and would love to push the Presidents’ Trophy winners to the brink.

As is the case with any contest, a handful of players can change the course of the game. So far in this series, goaltenders have made headlines, while the explosive offense of the Panthers is still waiting to be unleashed.

With all of that in mind, here are three players to watch in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Ilya Samsonov

After Vitek Vanecek started the first two games of the series, Ilya Samsonov was called upon to man the crease for Games 3 and 4 at home after replacing Vanecek in Washington’s Game 2 loss. Presumably, it will be his net again in Game 5, as he has been the far-superior goaltender for the Caps.

In two-plus games, Samsonov has recorded a 1.66 goals against average and a .949 save percentage. His save percentage has not been below .900 in any game in this series, and he has only conceded four goals in total.

Vanecek was solid in Game 1, but he surrendered five goals in Game 2, which turned out to be all it took to pull him, not just from the game, but from the series. In the regular season, Vanecek was the better of the two goalies, which is why all eyes should be on Samsonov.

The 25-year-old was only able to muster a 3.02 goals against average and a .896 save percentage over his 44 appearances. I understand wanting to go with the hot netminder in the postseason, but if Samsonov regresses to those regular season numbers, Game 5 and the series will both go to the Panthers.

If, however, he can continue to fluster the dynamic offense of Florida, he may quickly become the hero of round one for the Capitals.

Oddly enough, this is the second season in a row that Washington’s subpar goaltending from the regular season managed to turn itself around, at least to some degree, in the playoffs. Whether or not that can be sustained by Samsonov will be the key for the Caps in Game 5.

Jonathan Huberdeau

As mentioned previously, the Panthers’ potent offensive attack has been tamed through the first four games of this series. If that is going to change, it will have to start with forward Jonathan Huberdeau.

In the regular season, few players produced more than Huberdeau. His 115 points were tied with Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames for second in the NHL, trailing only Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.

The 28-year-old forward notched 30 goals for the second time in his career while pacing the NHL with 85 assists in 80 games played. It’s hard to argue that in the process, Huberdeau inserted himself firmly into the MVP conversation.

As a result of his tremendous season, the Panthers were the best offensive team in the league. With 337 goals scored, the Cats were the only team in the NHL to average more than four goals per game (4.1) this season.

The concern now as Florida looks to end one of the longest playoff series losing streaks in all of professional sports is the lack of production in the postseason. Huberdeau and company have only managed to score 11 goals through four games, and that includes a five-goal performance in Game 2.

Similarly, Huberdeau has only tallied one goal and two assists. While not a dismal output, fans have come to expect more from number 11 this season, and the Panthers are going to need more from him if they hope to win Game 5, and eventually, the series.

Although it hasn’t happened to this point, I would watch for Huberdeau and the rest of Florida’s offense to find a way to start getting more pucks past the Capitals’ defense.

Game 5 between the Panthers and Capitals could be a defining moment in this series, and it should certainly be a tight battle as both teams look to push the other to the brink of elimination.