Panthers Level Capitals

     The two divisional leaders in the Eastern Conference met on Tuesday night as the Florida Panthers topped the Washington Capitals 5-2 at Verizon Center. The Panthers extended their win streak to four games and have been victorious in 16 of their last 20 games. The Cats won their first home in Washington, DC after losing their previous 10 games in that arena.
     Florida got out to a 1-0 lead at 10:43 of the first period. Jaromir Jagr took the puck around the Capitals cage, backhanded a pass in front and Jonathan Huberdeau scored from the top of the crease.
     The Panthers made it a two-goal margin with 4:54 to go in the first. Aleksander Barkov passed from the top right circle to Huberdeau down low. His cross-ice pass went off the stick of Nick Bjugstad and Barkov followed up with a score.
     The Cats extended their gap to 3-0 just 21 seconds into the second period as Vincent Trocheck scored on an unassisted goal. He picked up the puck in the neutral zone, skated down the ice and blasted a shot from the right wing by Philipp Grubauer.
     They increased it to 4-0 on the power play with 4:50 remaining in the frame. Huberdeau compiled his third point of the game as he sailed in a snap shot from the top right circle. Reilly Smith fed him with a no-look backhand pass from the top of the zone.
     Washington tried to get back into the contest with two goals in 1:18 early in the third period against Al Montoya. Nichlas Backstrom converted on a power play as he scored from the slot area at 34 seconds and Andre Burakovsky fired in a slapshot from the left circle at 1:53.
     Quinton Howden sealed the victory for the Panthers on an empty-net goal with 1:53 left when the Capitals brought out an extra attacker and attempted to cut the deficit.