Washington Capitals improve position in Eastern Conference after taming the Florida Panthers 5-2 –NHL Update
Washington widened the margin with now second placed Philadelphia Flyers after beating Florida Panthers by 5-2 on Wednesday night at the sold out Verizon Center in Washington, District of Columbia. Both teams will be ending the season soon like everyone
else but both have completely different aims.
Florida is now just looking to pass time as it extends its losing streak to nine games and sits last in the Eastern Conference with 70 points.
On the other hand, Capitals has recently taken over the first spot and has one more game to play which would secure it as the conference’s top seed.
The Eastern Division’s top team scored twice in the first period alone. Just a little over a minute into the first period, Mike Knuble got a left side pass from Brooks Laich which he capitalised on during a power-play.
The home team was able to kill over six minutes in penalty time it gave to Panthers.
Jason Chimera took advantage of another power-play and added the second with 37 seconds remaining in the first period, giving Laich his second assist of the night.
"You knew we were going to score goals in the power play; it's just a matter of time", Capitals’ left winger, Chimera, said, "so we've just got to keep it rolling".
Sean Collins scored his first goal of the season, halfway through the second period.
Collins got his second National Hockey League career goal after being recalled from Washington’s farm team due to so many injured defensemen.
Matt Hendricks extended the lead to 4-0 before entering the third period.
David Booth finally scored the first goal for Florida during its first and only power play opportunity of the final period.
Capitals’ player, Boyd Gordon, was given a two minute penalty for delaying the game which gave Panthers a chance to score.
Time was not on Florida’s side as Mike Santorelli decreased the deficit to two, with less than two minutes remaining.
After that, it seemed as if Panthers had just stopped trying.
Assisting two goals, Alex Ovechkin potted his own with 12 seconds remaining on an empty net.
He raised his goal record to 32 for this season.
"A week from now, the real show starts", centre, Brooks Laich, said about the closing in playoffs.
Both teams face off once more on Saturday for Washington Capitals’ last match of the season.
If Panthers can with its next game and Philadelphia Flyers can win its remaining two, then they will end the season tied with Washington with the first spot.
Before meeting Capitals, Panthers will go to Tampa Bay on Friday to meet the fifth placed Lightning.
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