The Florida Panthers knew they needed to score a bunch if they wanted a chance against the league-leading Washington Capitals. Going into Thursday’s game, the Capitals were at the top of the league when it came to scoring, averaging almost four goals per game. With two superstar goaltenders between the pipes, it was a matter of who would keep more pucks out of the net.
Two of the world’s finest goaltenders would start tonight: Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida and Braden Holtby for Washington. Both netminders entered the game with six wins on the season, meaning only one would come on top to earn their seventh.