GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NHL: WASHINGTON (8-18) at FLORIDA (12-14)

NHL: WASHINGTON (8-18) at FLORIDA (12-14)

<h3>Struggling Capitals visit Panthers</h3>

<div class="pre">Washington (8-16-2) at Florida (12-13-1) 7:00 pm EST</div>

SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) - The Florida Panthers will look tocontinue their recent success against the lowly WashingtonCapitals when the two teams meet in a Southeast Division conteston Saturday.


Florida has won the first three meetings this season - all byone goal - and have taken eight of the last nine overall.

The Panthers are coming off a 4-3 loss on Thursday to Boston,which snapped their four-game winning streak.


Center Olli Jokinen leads Florida with 12 goals and 25 pointsbut has just two points in his last four games. Right wingNathan Horton is second on the team with 18 points but has alsoonly recorded four points in his last eight games.

Goaltender Tomas Vokoun has started all but four games for thePanthers and is currently on a personal four-game winningstreak. The 31-year-old has a 2.75 goals-against average, butis 5-3-0 with a 1.75 GAA in his career against the Capitals.

Washington has been a team in turmoil so far this season, as theCapitals fired Glen Hanlon on November 22 and are currently ona three-game losing streak. Washington is the only team whohasn't reached the 20-point plateau in the league and is just2-7-1 in their last 10 games.


Alex Ovechkin has been the lone bright spot for Washington,leading the team with 19 goals and 30 points. The left wing,who is second in the league in goals scored, had his nine-gamepoint streak snapped in Washington's 2-1 shootout loss toFlorida on Wednesday.


Ovechkin did tally two goals and one assist in the Capitals' 4-3loss to Carolina on Friday and has recorded a point in all butfour games he has played this season.

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL AT FLORIDA
STARTING GOALIES: WAS - BRENT JOHNSON
FLA - TOMAS VOKOUN

OFFICIALS: REF - DAVE JACKSON, WES MCCAULEY
LIN - MICHEL CORMIER, TIM NOWAK</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">WASHINGTON VS FLORIDA - SCRATCHES

WASHINGTON FLORIDA

C CLARK GROIN S WEISS FLU
J ERSKINE HEALTHY
S EMINGER HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
FLORIDA 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0
1ST PRD: WAS - BRIAN POTHIER 2 (ALEXANDER OVECHKIN) 3:53</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 15:00 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 9:40 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 4:49 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 1 1
FLORIDA 0 0 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: WAS - BRIAN POTHIER 2 (ALEXANDER OVECHKIN) 3:53

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WAS 16 16
FLA 7 7

GOALIES: WAS - BRENT JOHNSON
FLA - TOMAS VOKOUN</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">------------------------
Washington 1 --1
Florida 0 --0
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Washington, Brian Pothier 2 (Alexander
Ovechkin), 3:53. Penalties: J Bouwmeester, Fla (hooking), 11:19.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Washington 16 --16
Florida 7 --7
-----------------------------

Goalies : Washington, Brent Johnson (7 shots, 7 saves). Florida, Tomas
Vokoun (16 shots, 15 saves). Referees: Dave Jackson, Wes Mccauley.
Linesmen: Michel Cormier, Tim Nowak.</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 19:58 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 14:48 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 9:19 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 1 0 1
FLORIDA 0 0 0 END OF THE 2ND

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: WAS - BRIAN POTHIER 2 (ALEXANDER OVECHKIN) 3:53
2ND PRD: NONE

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WAS 16 17 33
FLA 7 8 15

GOALIES: WAS - BRENT JOHNSON
FLA - TOMAS VOKOUN</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">------------------------------
Washington 1 0 --1
Florida 0 0 --0
------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Washington, Brian Pothier 2 (Alexander
Ovechkin), 3:53. Penalties: J Bouwmeester, Fla (hooking), 11:19; B
Allen, Fla (holding), 15:38.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: A Semin, Was (hooking), 8:23; A Ovechkin,
Was (), 12:20; A Ovechkin, Was (), 14:27.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------
Washington 16 17 --33
Florida 7 8 --15
----------------------------------

Goalies : Washington, Brent Johnson (15 shots, 15 saves). Florida,
Tomas Vokoun (33 shots, 32 saves). Referees: Dave Jackson, Wes
Mccauley. Linesmen: Michel Cormier, Tim Nowak.</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 0 19:55 LEFT, 3RD PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 1
3RD PRD: FLA - BRANISLAV MEZEI 1 (OLLI JOKINEN) 2:49</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 1
FLORIDA 1 16:15 LEFT, 3RD PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 2
FLORIDA 1
3RD PRD: WAS - ALEXANDER OVECHKIN 20 (MICHAEL NYLANDER, JEFF SCHULTZ)
4:38</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 2
FLORIDA 1 12:48 LEFT, 3RD PRD</div>