The Washington Capitals got the kind of response they needed Saturday afternoon, shaking off a two-game skid and surviving a late push from the Florida Panthers for a 4-3 win at home.
Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas each finished with a goal and an assist, while Jack St. Ivany scored his first career NHL goal. Logan Thompson backed it up with 27 saves as Washington wrapped up its three-game homestand on a winning note.
Florida got a big night from the Tkachuk brothers, but it wasn’t enough. Brady Tkachuk scored twice, Matthew Tkachuk handed out three assists, and Akira Schmid stopped 27 shots. The Panthers have now lost two of their last three.
Washington struck first just 2:21 into the game when St. Ivany jumped on a puck that Schmid had cleared to the boards and snapped in a shot from a sharp angle.
Florida answered quickly. At 3:13, the Capitals were burned by a turnover in their own zone, and Matthew Tkachuk found Brady Tkachuk for a close-range finish on the Panthers’ first shot on goal.
The Panthers then took the lead on the power play at 10:00. Florida was working through a five-minute advantage after Tom Wilson was assessed a major for boarding and a game misconduct, and Brady Tkachuk made it count with a snap shot in front of the net.
The Capitals pulled level again in the second period when Alex Tuch scored at 4:39 after Florida coughed up the puck in the neutral zone. From there, Washington found the go-ahead goal at 14:55. Dubois delivered a no-look pass to Protas, who caught Schmid out of position and finished to make it 3-2.
Dubois added another insurance marker early in the third, scoring at 4:42 after Protas fed him with a cross-ice pass. Dubois then deked around Schmid to push the Capitals ahead 4-2.
Florida made one last charge in the final minute. Sam Bennett cut the deficit to 4-3 with 45 seconds left, redirecting a shot from Matthew Tkachuk, but Washington held on from there.
In Other News...
Panthers Fans Can Dream On Kucherov But One Obstacle Looms
Nikita Kucherovs future in Tampa Bay has suddenly become one of the biggest talking points in the NHL, and naturally it has stirred up speculation closer to home for Florida fans. With contract extension talks with Lightning general manager Julian Brisebois having gone nowhere, the star wingers situation has shifted from routine offseason chatter to a genuine trade watch, with the Panthers quickly surfacing as a team worth monitoring.
For Florida, the appeal is obvious. A player of Kucherovs caliber would change the conversation around the roster in an instant, but the path to any deal is anything but simple. The in-state rivalry between the Panthers and Lightning looms over everything here, and it is the kind of obstacle that can make even the most intriguing idea feel far more complicated than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Have A Tom Wilson Problem To Worry About
Sandis Vilmanis night ended early against Washington after he was injured on a hit from Tom Wilson, a sequence that immediately shifted attention from the scoreboard to the Panthers health. Wilson was assessed a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct for boarding, and Florida was left to sort through the fallout from a play that once again put one of the leagues most scrutinized hitters at the center of the conversation.
Paul Maurice said Vilmanis will be evaluated further, and the early expectation is that he will not be available for the next game. For Florida, the concern is not just one injured player, but the broader reality of facing a Capitals team with Wilson on the ice, given his long history of discipline issues with the Department of Player Safety. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Have A Bigger Worry Than The Loss After Vilmanis Exit
Sandis Vilmanis night ended early after a hard hit from Tom Wilson in the game against Washington, leaving the Panthers to deal with more than just the result on the scoreboard. Wilson was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct before being ejected, while Vilmanis left with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
For Florida, the immediate concern now is less about the loss itself and more about how long it might be without Vilmanis. Head coach Paul Maurice said the forward will be further evaluated before the team has a clear read on his status, and that kind of uncertainty is never welcome this time of year when every lineup spot matters. [Read more 🡒]