Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals Prediction, 1/17/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

TV: Monumental Sports Network

The Florida Panthers (24-18-3) are headed to Capital One Arena on Saturday where they will try to beat the Washington Capitals (24-17-6).

The Florida Panthers were on the right side of the scoreboard with a 4-3 victory over the Sabres in their previous outing. The Panthers had a good offensive output in the win. For the matchup, they converted 4 of the 32 shots they put on goal. They also had 1 power play opportunity and scored 1 goal. Florida garnered 9 mins in the box in this outing.

Florida Panthers opponents have tallied 154 power play tries (2nd in pro hockey) and have come away with 25 goals in those chances. The Panthers so far have had 1,173 shots attempted against them and have earned a save percentage of .877. Florida has tried 1,313 shots and is the owner of a shooting percentage of 10.4%. When playing at even strength, the Panthers have conceded 119 goals while getting 106 of their own. Florida steps onto the ice with 165 power play chances and they have notched 31 goals out of those attempts, earning them a rate of 18.79%. For the current campaign, they have accumulated 51 points and their points % is .567. In the matter of their goal scoring prowess, the Florida Panthers have earned 137 goals (19th in the NHL) so far this year and have given up 144.

Protecting the goal for this matchup will be Daniil Tarasov. Opponents have been able to score 240 goals versus Tarasov in his pro career and his goals against average per contest is 3.24. Tarasov has been involved in 79 games throughout his professional hockey career. He has a save percentage of .899 during his 3,479 mins between the pipes. He has compiled an overall mark of 24-40-8 and he started in 74 games. Throughout his time in hockey, Tarasov has 36 quality starts and his rate for quality starts is .486. Tarasov has had 2,375 shot attempts taken against him and has recorded 2,135 saves.

In their last contest, Washington went up against the Canadiens in a game where the Capitals got the win by a final of 3-2. The Capitals converted 3 goals of the 42 shots on goal they pursued. They had 5 chances on the power play in this outing but didn't score a goal.

So far this season, the Washington Capitals have accounted for 153 goals, 54 points, in addition to a points percentage of .574. They have permitted 130 goals to be scored by way of 96 goals at even strength and 34 goals while they were shorthanded. The Capitals have earned 132 goals at even strength and 21 goals (28th in the league) while on the power play. They have a total of 137 opportunities on the power play and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 15.33%. Washington has put up 1,384 shots (6th in professional hockey) and has accumulated a shooting percentage of 11.05%, while allowing their opponents 1,322 shots. They have a penalty kill rate of 77.33% on their opponents 150 power play chances, and their save percentage is 90.2%.

For the opposition you are likely to see Logan Thompson protecting the goal. He is sitting with 4,631 saves out of the 5,076 shots attempted against him, which gives him a percentage of .912. Thompson has compiled a career record of 104-50-21 and has played in 179 games. He got the starting nod in 170 games and has been on the ice for 7,819 minutes. Thompson's quality start rate comes in at 62.9% and he has accumulated 107 quality starting assignments in his NHL career. His opposition is averaging 2.62 goals per contest and he has yielded 445 goals overall.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take Washington

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