Arena: Verizon Center
Time: Fri, January 29, 2010 at 7:00 PM ET
League: NHL – United States of America

Last 10 matches: Florida 6-2-2; Washington 9-1-0
Washington will face Florida for the fifth time this season and for the third time at Verizon Center. The Caps have won each of the first four meetings, including a 5-4 shootout decision on Jan. 13, and have outscored Florida by a combined 21-11 in the process. The Capitals are 10-2-0 against Southeast Division foes in 2009-10.Look up and down the Capitals roster and you’ll find a player with a hot hand. Semin has 11 goals and 21 points in 12 games, Ovechkin has 8 goals and 23 points and in his last 11 games, Backstrom has 6 goals and 12 points in 11, Mike Knuble has 9 goals and 11 points in 11 and Fleischmann has struck for 3 goals and 12 points in 12. … For Florida, goalie Tomas Vokoun is 7-4-2 in 13 straight starts, stopping 427 of 449 shots (.951 save percentage) over that stretch. He’s also posted three of his six shutouts this season over the last nine games.
The Caps have nine games over the next 14 days prior to the Olympic break, which begins Feb. 15. It’s an opportunity for the club to build upon its Eastern Conference-leading 76-point total. Five Capitals, including Alexander Semin, Alex Ovechkin and Semyon Varlamov of Team Russia, Tomas Fleischmann of the Czech Republic and Nicklas Backstrom of Sweden, will head to Vancouver to represent their countries in mid-February while the remaining players rest up for the 20-game regular-season stretch run.
For the Panthers, wings Booth (concussion) and Horton (leg) are out. … The Capitals are without Varlamov (lower body). Jose Theodore is also dealing with a lower-body injury, but will likely back up Michal Neuvirth against Florida. Highlights, live score and results will be available soon.. stay tuned.