Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists as the Florida Panthers defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2 in Washington, with Balinskis and Greer also scoring.

WASHINGTON — Jakob Chychrun, a new father after a busy week, used his new dad strength to his advantage to help spark the Washington Capitals against the Florida Panthers. Ultimately, though, it wasn't enough.

Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and A.J. Greer each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (25-19-3), who were coming off a 9-1 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and finished 3-3-0 on their six-game road trip. Sam Reinhart had two assists, and Daniil Tarasov made 22 saves in his first game since Jan. 4.

The Florida Panthers wanted to put the stink of Friday night’s blowout loss in Raleigh behind them and a fast and dominant start against the Washington Capitals on Saturday did just that. Only playing a strong offensive game and actually scoring goals took a minute.

The Caps were hoping to get right at home before heading out on a six-game trip. Instead, they’ve lost two of three and are 4-5-1 over their past 10.

Closing out their season series, the Panthers have gone 2-0-0 against the Capitals this season. Defending home ice each time, the Panthers won 6-3 on Nov. 13 and then 5-3 on Dec. 29, with both games being played at Amerant Bank Arena.

The Washington Capitals visit the Colorado Avalanche after Jakob Chychrun scored two goals in the Capitals' 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers.

The Washington Capitals finish their three-game homestand on Saturday night. They will host the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida […]