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Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun celebrates after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

3 Takeaways From Capitals’ 5-2 Loss to Panthers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Christopher Babos | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 12:15 PM ET

The Washington Capitals‘ uneven start to the new calendar year continued last night with a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. The Capitals’ only goals came from the blue line as Washington dropped to 3-5-1 this month, including back-to-back losses at home.

The defeat drops Washington’s record to 24-19-6 on the 2025-26 campaign, which sits alone in fourth place in the tightly-placed Metropolitan Division. Florida’s win improves the club to a 25-19-3 mark, which is only good for seventh place in an equally tight Atlantic Division on the other side of the Eastern Conference.

Chychrun Nets Only Washington Goals on Saturday

Jakob Chychrun scored his 16th and 17th goals of the 2025-26 season as the only two pucks past Florida backup Daniil Tarasov on Saturday night. It was the first two goals of the 2026 calendar year for the 27-year-old defender, who trails Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski by one goal for the NHL lead among defenders. Chychrun needs three goals to tie his career-best 20-goal celebrations from last season with Washington.

Washington’s top-line defender is on milestone watch during the Capitals’ upcoming six-game West Coast road trip, as he needs two points to reach 300 points in his NHL career. Chychrun has scored 113 goals and amassed 185 assists for 297 points in 588 games across three teams: the Arizona Coyotes, the Ottawa Senators, and the Capitals.

Thompson’s Stats on Par with 2024-25 Performance

Logan Thompson finished 2024-25 with an astounding 31-6-6 record with a 2.49 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%) as the Capitals surged to the top spot in the Eastern Conference. If measured by the overall record alone, the story appears completely different nearly 10 months later. The Capitals’ netminder features a 17-14-4 record with a 2.38 GAA and a .914 SV% in 35 starts this season.

Thompson has started in 35 of 49 Capitals games. That breaks out to a 71.4% start rate between the pipes for Washington and represents a significant increase in his workload from 42 starts in 2025-26. If healthy over the rest of Washington’s schedule, Thompson is in line to receive 20-plus more starts for head coach Spencer Carbery’s squad. If the Capitals can regain their scoring touch, the Canadian Olympian should give them the chance to vault back up the Metropolitan Division standings.

Reinforcements Inbound for the West Coast Road Trip?

The injury bug has taken a bigger bite out of the Capitals’ lineup in 2025-26, with forwards like Tom Wilson, Justin Sourdif, and Pierre-Luc Dubois on injured reserve. Wilson and Sourdif participated in an optional morning skate with the team yesterday, but did not play against Florida. Dubois had abdominal surgery in November 2025 and is not expected to return until after the scheduled break for NHL athletes to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Washington needs reinforcements for a tough West Coast road swing that takes them through Colorado, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada over the next two weeks.

Wilson leads the Capitals in scoring with 22 goals, a top-25 mark in the NHL scoring landscape this season. Sourdif, a trade acquisition at the 2025 NHL Draft from the Panthers, has been a solid addition to Carbery’s lineup, with nine goals and 19 points in his first 45 games for his new club. While they play different roles, both forwards have been vital to the Capitals’ winning ways.

Up Next for Washington

Washington looks to avoid the losing streak tomorrow night with a holiday afternoon matinee against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena at 4:00 pm. Colorado enters the contest following a 7-3 loss to the Nashville Predators, the Avalanche’s first regulation home loss of the 2025-26 season. The Capitals-Avalanche battle will be broadcast nationally on TNT and/or HBO Max.