'Evolving' Capitals optimistic with Panthers up next

The Washington Capitals have started to turn a corner after a rough start and will try to stay on that path when they host the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

The Capitals have won four of their past five games after winning just once in their first five. They're coming off a 2-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, a contest in which they scored first for just the second time this season.

"I think we're evolving," general manager Brian MacLellan said Monday. "The style of play has changed. I think we've had some ups and downs, but there's positive trends lately. You see some players' games elevating; we're becoming more consistent both defensively and offensively. So I'm reasonably optimistic that we can continue it going forward."

Washington has scored 19 goals in 10 games thus far, the second-fewest total in the NHL, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks (12). Eight of those have come in the first period, putting them in the bottom five in the NHL entering Tuesday's schedule.

Center Evgeny Kuznetsov missed practice Monday and Tuesday due to illness. Coach Spencer Carbery said Tuesday that they'll play it by ear as to whether Kuznetsov will face the Panthers.

If he can't go, it'll likely mean even more minutes for 22-year-old Connor McMichael. While the youngster has just three points (two goals, one assist) in 10 games, it hasn't been for a lack of chances. McMichael ranks second on the team with 22 scoring chances, trailing only Tom Wilson (24).

"He's making way more plays," Carbery said late last month. "We were talking about it as a staff. ... He's probably had 12 Grade A's -- (chances when it's) him and the goaltender. ... He potentially could have six, seven, eight goals, no problem."

The Panthers, meanwhile, are aiming to build off a wild 5-4 overtime victory against the Blue Jackets on Monday. After jumping out to 3-0 lead through the first six minutes and change of the first period, Columbus responded with four straight before Nick Cousins tied it with 57 seconds left in the third period. Carter Verhaeghe sealed it in the extra frame.

"He's had some incredible chances, and he has generated them," coach Paul Maurice said of Cousins. "Right now, with Sam Bennett out (due to a lower-body injury), he is a really important piece. He's a guy who can come into the top nine to kind of fill that hole."

Florida has struggled with consistency this season, alternating wins and losses over its past four games. Only twice thus far has the team won two in a row.

The win against Columbus bumped the Panthers' struggling offense up a notch from 2.60 to 2.82 goals per game. It marked just the third time they scored more than three goals in a game this season, a big change for a club that ranked sixth in the NHL last season with an average of 3.51 goals per game.

Sam Reinhart leads the team with eight goals, twice as many as Verhaeghe, who is second with four. Captain Aleksander Barkov is third with three tallies, and no other player has more than two on the season.