The Capitals outworked the opposition for a 6-3 win over the defending Cup champion Panthers.
WASHINGTON — A game that started out slow quickly turned into high-event hockey between the East-leading Washington Capitals and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, as D.C. looked to end a two-game slide. And as the story's been all season, the Capitals found a way to get it done thanks to their unsung heroes.
The bottom-6 supplied three of the six goals, Nic Dowd had three points and Alex Ovechkin continued his great chase en route to a 6-3 win.
Here are all the takeaways from the victory.
Dowd & Mangiapane Shine As Bottom-6 Comes In Clutch For Capitals, Eller Also Busts Out
Andre Mangiapane has fit in well since joining the fourth line with Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime, and against the defending Cup champs, they were the team's key to success.
Mangiapane fired home a rocket of a shot to make it 1-0 late in the first, with Rasmus Sandin and Dowd chipping in the assists. It marked Mangiapane's first goal in nine games.
Then, in the third with the fourth line drawing a penalty, Mangiapane drove into the offensive zone and fed Dowd crashing the net for his 11th of the year, ending a 16-game drought with his first strike since Dec. 29. Dowd picked up another assist for a three-point night.
Their multi-point efforts helped Washington, as did Lars Eller's clutch goal early in the third period that held him snap a 10-game goal drought of his own amid recent struggles.
The Dane, who missed put on a breakaway earlier in the frame, jumped on a loose puck and drove to the net before beating Sergei Bobrovsky to put D.C. ahead and jumpstart a strong third period.
overall, the bottom-6 had a strong night offensively,
Protas & Wilson Stay Hot, Strike Shorthanded; Power Play Struggles Continue
The Capitals' PK has been impressive all year, and it added to its resume once again with a shorthanded goal courtesy of two of their top penalty killers.
Aliaksei Protas forced a turnover and carried the puck up ice for a 2-on-1 with Tom Wilson. Protas threaded the needle to dish Wilson a perfect feed for the alternate captain's 22nd goal of the season.
Protas now has points in seven of his last eight games, and Wilson is on a three-game point streak as both remain on pace for the best seasons of their respective careers.
While the penalty kill ook care of business, Washington struggled again on the power play. D.C. went 0-for-3 on the man advantage and had to change up its first unit, replacing Connor McMichael with Pierre-Luc Dubois. The second unit had more looks, but ultimately, it couldn't get much set up and managed just one shot.
Logan Thompson, Capitals Shut Down Panthers & Play Consistent 60
After giving up five goals against Winnipeg, Logan Thompson got the opportunity to get back in net and make back-to-back starts with the team putting trust in him to shut down the red-hot Florida offense.
Though three got by, Thompson played a strong overall game, stopping. He was poised, cool and collected through 60 minutes, using his athleticism and size to his advantage. He ended the night with 29 saves on 32 shots.
This is only the second time this season and the first since October that he's given up at least three goals over the last two games, and he still shut the door en route to the win.
Meanwhile, the defense stepped up to help shut things down, as the team came together to block a combined 15 shots.
Protas then helped seal the deal late with his 22nd goal of the season and second point of the night, blocking a shot before putting one in the empty net to secure the 5-3 victory.
Overall, it was a solid night for Washington, who put together three strong periods for the victory.
Ovechkin Beats Buzzer To Continue GR8 Chase
Alex Ovechkin, of course, couldn't leave empty-handed.
The 39-year-old got the puck with just two seconds left on the clock and fired home an empty-netter that crossed the line with just .1 seconds left in regulation to seal the deal and make it 6-3.
He is now 17 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history.
Top Shelf Takes
- Washington made some changes to shut things down late in the game, with Lars Eller moved to the wing with Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson while Alex Ovechkin went to work with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas.
-Speaking of Strome, he picked up an assist to extend his point streak to four games.
- Washington has yet to lose more than two games in a row all year.
- Stick taps to Craig Laughlin, who is recovering well after heart surgery this morning. We’re all with you, Locker.
