Seven goals? Chase starting netminder Tomas Vokoun?
Yeah, I’d say that went well.
There isn’t a whole lot of wrong to speak of about the Washington Capitals’ 7-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Ok, maybe Shaone Morrisonn should have taken a better angle on Steve Reinprecht’s first period goal in which Reinprecht ripped a big slapper by Jose Theodore to cut the Capitals’ lead to 2-1.
Honestly, that’s about all I can find. It was all good elsewise.
Let’s start with the Capitals’ third line of Jason Chimera, Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr. They were flying around on the ice tonight, getting to just about every loose puck. They must have really been flying around the times that they were out there to leave such an impression, as Fehr only skated 12:39, and Chimera, 13:52. I would have liked to have seen those two get more ice time in a blowout like tonight, but I digress. Morrison skated 16:20 while putting six shots on net.
Chimera, Fehr and Morrison each had one goal, while Morrison tallied two assists, as well.
Morrison had this dandy of a goal:
The second line was not to be outdone, scoring three goals themselves, including two by Brooks Laich. Laich also had an assist and put eight shots on net in the game, as he has now attained career highs in goals (24 on the season)and points (54).
Here’s one Laich goal:
Alexander Semin also got into the act, with a goal and an assist. Second line pivot Eric Belanger had an assist.
Scoring for everyone on this night.
Some other tidbits on the game…
-Mike Green only skated 23:07 on the night. Must feel like a partial night off for him.
-Speaking of Green, with one assist tonight, Green became the 13th defenseman in league history with two straight 70-point seasons. Congratulations to Green.
-No Alex Ovechkin meant Green and Joe Corvo manning the points on the power play. The Capitals were scored on two of four power plays on the night.
-The Panthers went scoreless on three power plays. I’d praise the Capitals’ penalty killed, but the Panthers happen to be 29th in the league in power play efficiency.
-Belanger won 11 of 16 faceoffs; Morrison, six of 15; and Nicklas Backstrom, four of 10.
-Backstrom: One goal and an assist. Just another game. And the value on that contract extension this summer keeps on going up, up, up.
-Poor Boyd Gordon. His back problem just won’t go away.
-Jeff Schultz’s name hasn’t been brought up lately. Schultz was plus-1 on the night to increase his overall rating to plus-37 (still second in the league and first among defensemen).
-Theodore saved 34 of 37 shots tonight. 37 shots seems like a lot to give up, especially to the offensively-challenged Panthers, but how many of those were quality scoring chances? The three goals plus maybe two other chances?
-Full highlights below:
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The game got to the point where you’re like, goodness, they scored AGAIN? The Caps owned it tonight. Impressive performance, seems as if they have gotten with the daylight-savings program. The poor Panthers.