The Washington Capitals, winners of three straight, will have some new blood in the lineup as they take on the reigning Eastern Conference champion, Florida Panthers.
With TJ Oshie and Nic Dowd out injured, Pierrick Dubé will make his NHL debut. Alex Alexeyev will return to the lineup in place of Ethan Bear. Charlie Lindgren will start.
On the Florida side, Matthew Tkachuk will not suit up and Panthers head coach Paul Maurice will turn to Anthony Stolarz in net.
Tonight’s game has a weird start time — 6 pm. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call on Monumental Sports Network.
Alex Ovechkin will look to extend his long point streak to 11 games and create some more history in the process.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Capitals scratches: Ethan Bear and Hendrix Lapierre.
Florida Panthers
It’s Ovi’s 1400th career game
1,400 games and counting.
Congratulations to @Ovi8 on another incredible milestone! pic.twitter.com/Es9Ae2fKAI— NHLPA (@NHLPA) February 24, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Anthony Stolarz in net. Ovechkin-McMichael-NAK and TVR-Carlson get the start.
Gustav Forsling to the box for tripping Michael Sgarbossa at 4:51. Caps to the game’s first power play.
Nick Jensen down the tunnel after getting awkwardly hit into the end boards by William Lockwood. Lockwood took a roughing penalty on the play. Jensen appeared to have his right leg jammed into the boards. He was slow to get up but was able to get up under his own power.
Caps can’t convert on their second power play opportunity.
Florida has only two shots through the first 14 minutes of the first period.
Evan Rodriguez and Connor McMichael both to the box for roughing at 14:42.
A very sleepy period. Capitals outshoot the Panthers 8 to 4. The Panthers are out-attempting the Capitals 14 to 8 at five-on-five.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Nick Jensen returns.
🚨 1-0 Panthers. Nick Cousins scores on a wicked deflection. The goal came on only Florida’s fifth shot on goal through the first 24:03 of the game.
Forsling catches Malenstyn up high forcing a stoppage in play.
Anthony Mantha goes after Will Lockwood after a whistle. He was the same player who sent Jensen hard into the boards.
Pierrick Dubé has a breakaway, but clangs the far post on his shot.
Anthony Mantha destroys Nick Cousins in a fight. Cousins dives to avoid any more damage. Wow. Both players get five minute majors for fighting while Mantha gets the extra minor for hooking. Alex Ovechkin served the extra minor.
Tom Wilson draws a penalty as he drives hard to the net. Niko Mikkola to the box for hooking at 16:51.
Ovechkin with a huge one-timer from just outside the left circle. Stolarz makes the save but he immediately looked behind him thinking it eked through him.
🚨 1-1 tie. Sonny Milano on the door step after a tic-tac-toe goal on the power play.
Through two, the Capitals are outshooting Florida 16 to 15 but the Panthers have a slight edge in five-on-five shot attempts, 30-29.
3rd Period
John Carlson takes a slashing penalty 12 seconds into the third period. Panthers to the power play.
Anthony Mantha beats Stolarz clean on a one-timer at the top 7:52 into the period, but he clangs it hard off the post and out of play.
Tom Wilson draws another penalty. This time a holding infraction on Barkov as he skates with the puck up the ice. Time of penalty 9:04.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Tom Wilson picks up an indirect pass off the end boards from Dylan Strome (it could have been an icing) and scores on what turns into a semi’ish-breakaway. It’s a PPG. Wilson’s lucky 13th came at the 10:11 mark. Wilson’s last goal came 13 games ago against Anaheim.
Nick Jensen to the box for hooking Evan Rodrigues at 15:42.
🚨 2-2 tie. Carter Verhaeghe walks down broadway and rips a shot past Lindgren. Time of goal 16:30.
Florida leads in shots on goal 25 to 21. To overtime we go.
Overtime
Puck is dropped.
🚨 3-2 Panthers. On a three-on-one break, Gustav Forsling scores with a one-timer through Lindgren’s five hole. Time of goal 3:41.
Florida outshoots the Capitals 27-24 in the game. Tough loss.
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