The Florida Panthers will have a shot at clinching a playoff spot and winning the NHL's Southeast Division on Thursday April 4 when they will visit the Washington Capitals.
Florida Panthers prospect Keaton Ellerby during warm-up
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This game is the showdown that I have been waiting for. As of April 4 the Capitals hold second place in the Southeast and are just four points behind the Panthers. If the Capitals win out in the regular season there is a chance they could take the division and possibly the playoff spot from the Cats.
I have been waiting for the Panthers to return to the playoffs since 2000 and it looks like this may be the year but the game against the Capitals is the potential stumbling block that is left in the Panthers' season.
The Capitals and the Cats have been evenly matched this season. The Cats are 2-3 against the Capitals this season. Neither team has a distinct advantage over the other, it may just come down to which team wants it more.
Stephen Weiss Sees the Playoffs
The Panthers' starting center Stephen Weiss has been one of the biggest Caps killers of all this year. Weiss has three goals and two assists in his five games played against the Capitals this year. Weiss knows more than anyone how important this game is to the Cats. The Panthers drafted him on 2001, one year after their last playoff appearance. He has spent his entire 11-year NHL career without a playoff appearance and you can bet the farm that Weiss will come out gunning on Thursday night.
The Ovechkin Factor
Another x-factor in the game will be which version of Alex Ovechkin shows up. Will it be the player who has struggled to find the back of the net this year or will the Great Eight from 2008 turn up and steal the show? Ovechkin has four goals and one assist in four games played against the Cats this year, so he's definitely a player to watch out for.
The Goaltenders
The Panthers' head coach Kevin Dineen will be faced with an interesting goaltending dilemma on Thursday night. The Cats' starting goaltender Jose Theodore is a big reason for the team's success this year but Theo has only faced the Capitals once this year on Feb. 17 when he drew a loss. Backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen has much more experience with he Capitals this year and is responsible for both of the Panthers' wins against the Caps this season. I think it would be hard for any coach to sit the starting goaltender who the team has leaned on all season.
Keys to Victory
The key to winning will be for the Cats to score early and score often. The Panthers have had three overtime losses in their last four games. They can't afford to let the Capitals keep it close and they can't afford to relax. They could have clinched the division on Apr. 3 against the Winnipeg Jets, instead they allowed the Jets to score four unanswered goals and go on to win the game in overtime. Hopefully the Panthers learned something from that experience because this time a playoff spot may be at steak.
More from this Contributor:
The Florida Panthers Still Scratching to Own a Playoff Spot: A Fan's Take
The Florida Panthers Keep Rolling to the Playoffs with a Big Shootout Win: A Fan's Take
Just in Time for a Playoff Run Dmitry Kulikov is Close to a Return: A Fan's Take
Sources:
Florida Panthers Schedule
Washington Capitals Schedule
NHL Standings
Kristian Eberwein is a freelance journalist from Orlando, Florida. He was an English major at the University of Central Florida and has been a part of the Florida hockey community for the past twenty years. Follow him on Twitter @KrisEberwein
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