7 – The Capitals positive goal differential against Atlantic Division teams this season, their best mark of the four divisions. In 14 games so far this year, the Caps have outscored Atlantic opponents 44-37 and posted an overall record of 9-4-1.
Braden Holtby has once again been stalwart against Atlantic Division squads, with a 6-1-0 record, a GAA of 2.26 and a save percentage of .930. On the offensive side, the scoring has (not surprisingly) been led by Alex Ovechkin, with 10 goals and 12 points against the Atlantic this year; over the course of his career, Ovechkin has dominated the eight teams that currently make up the Atlantic, with 226 goals and 420 points in 362 games played.
That overall success didn’t translate to victory against tonight’s opponent in Florida when the two faced off earlier this year; the Panthers are one of the four Atlantic teams to hand the Caps a regulation loss in 2017-18, with Christian Djoos picking up the only goal in an eventual 4-1 defeat back in October.
The Caps will look to exact some revenge against the Cats – and go into the All-Star Game on a high note – tonight in Sunrise.