The Washington Capitals needed a response Saturday afternoon, and they got one in a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers that featured a little bit of everything: an early spark, a major penalty, timely finishing and Logan Thompson holding up when the pressure tightened.
Washington came in at 5-5-0 over its last 10 after a 3-1-0 start, still looking for the kind of complete outing that had slipped away in the loss to the Dallas Stars. This time, the Capitals set the tone early and never let the game drift too far from their grasp.
Jack St. Ivany opened the scoring 2:21 into the game for his first career goal, sending a puck off the board and past Akira Schmid as he scrambled back in front of the net from behind the goal.
The lead didn’t last long. A Matthew Tkachuk tip-in was stopped, but Brady Tkachuk cleaned it up and tied it less than a minute later.
Washington’s early jump showed up in the shot count, with the Capitals taking five of the first six shots on goal. They also earned the first power play after a Sam Reinhart hooking penalty, but the chance fizzled. Ryan Leonard got one shot through, then a rebound try hit the post and was cleared.
The game turned sharply when Tom Wilson checked Sandis Cilmanis from behind into the boards along the left circle in Washington’s offensive zone. The result was a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding.
Florida cashed in on the five-on-four, with Brady Tkachuk scoring again at the midway point of the opening period. Still, Thompson kept the damage from growing, making five saves in the period to keep Washington within reach.
The Capitals had another power play late in the first after Carter Verhaeghe was called for holding, but they couldn’t make it count.
The second period brought more back-and-forth. Alex Tuch tied it early after taking control of a puck at the blue line while under pressure from two Panthers, drawing a penalty and then ripping a shot top left past Schmid.
Washington answered later in the period with a sharp passing sequence that started with Leonard behind the net, moved to Dubois in front and ended with Aliaksei Protas on the doorstep. Protas finished into a wide-open net for his second goal of the season, sending the Capitals into the third with a 3-2 lead.
Pierre-Luc Dubois added to it early in the final frame, working his way in front and reaching around Schmid to score with 15:38 left. That gave Washington some breathing room, though the finish still got tense.
The Capitals had a late power play with 4:01 remaining after Uvis Balinskis was called for holding onto a stick, but they couldn’t convert. Sam Bennett pushed hard in the final minute, yet Washington held on and closed out the win.
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Capitals Have One Early Problem That Could Derail A Promising Start
The early returns around Washington have been encouraging in a lot of ways, with the roster looking deeper and more balanced than it did a year ago. Even so, one issue is hanging over the start enough to keep the optimism in check: the Capitals have not gotten steady enough play in net, and that matters even more on a team trying to turn a promising opening into something sustainable.
For a club that has made clear progress elsewhere, the next stretch will be about whether the goaltending can settle in and support the rest of the lineup. Washington also needs its younger forwards to keep pushing the offense forward, because the path from a decent start to a real one depends on more than just the veterans carrying the load. [Read more 🡒]