Preview: Capitals Visit Panthers in Key Eastern Conference Matchup SUNRISE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers, two teams jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference, will meet Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena in a rematch of a November contest dominated by the hosts. The Panthers (20-16-0) enter with a slight edge in the standings and momentum from a 5-2 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 23. The Capitals (19-18-0) are looking to halt a three-game skid, most recently a 7-3 home loss to the New York Rangers that same night. Florida won the season’s first head-to-head meeting convincingly, a 6-3 victory on Nov. 13 in Sunrise. The Panthers’ offense has shown potency, scoring four or more goals in six of their last ten outings. A key player to watch for Florida is defenseman Seth Jones, who has been a consistent contributor from the blue line. Jones is riding a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists) and had a goal and four shots in the win over Carolina. His recent offensive surge includes eight shots on goal in a Dec. 20 loss to St. Louis. For Washington, forward Aliaksei Protas has emerged as a bright spot during a difficult stretch. Protas recorded a goal and an assist in the loss to the Rangers, giving him points in three of his last five games. He has four goals over his last ten contests, providing secondary scoring for a Capitals team that has been shut out twice in December. The Panthers’ recent form has been stronger, with a 7-3-0 record in their last ten games compared to the Capitals’ 3-6-1 mark in the same span. Florida’s success has been built at home, where they have won four of their last five. Washington will need to tighten its defense after allowing 15 goals in its last three losses. Following this game, the Capitals return home to face the Rangers again on New Year’s Eve. The Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday to conclude a brief two-game homestand. Monday’s matchup will be the second of three scheduled meetings this season, with the finale set for Jan. 17 in Washington.