Capitals’ 2nd Period Scoring Outburst Leads to 6-3 Win Over Panthers

Three minutes later, Florida received some puck luck as Gustav Forsling’s dump-in from the red line took an odd hop off the backboards, with the puck eluding Washington’s Logan Thompson . Bennett deposited an easy empty-net goal following a cross-ice pass from Mackie Samoskevich to tie the game at one. 

Six minutes later, Washington received their own good hockey fortune as a John Carlson shot deflected off a Florida defender and past Vanecek for a 2-1 Washington lead. Florida’s Seth Jones ripped a shot past Thompson for his first goal as a Panthers defenseman 92 seconds later to tie the game at two. 

Washington’s trade acquisition, Anthony Beauvillier, broke the deadlock with an impressive individual effort featuring a wicked speed burst and some nifty stickhandling to slide the puck past a bewildered Panthers goalie for Washington’s third-one goal lead of the afternoon, 3-2. It was Beauvillier’s second goal for Washington and his 14th goal of the season, which is his highest total since 2020-21.

This lead lasted 29 seconds as Florida’s forecheck caused a defensive zone turnover from Washington, leading to Jonah Gadjovich’s 3-3 tying score. The crowd at Capital One Arena had a few minutes to breathe after a frenzied opening 20 minutes of play with a 3-3 tie and two periods of regulation action remaining. Fans who were late returning to their seats after the first intermission missed the Washington party as the Capitals blitzed the Panthers during the middle period. 

Tom Wilson scored seven seconds into the second period after receiving a picture-perfect pass from defenseman Matt Roy that sprung the forward on a breakaway against Florida’s goalie. Wilson moved to the backhand and threw his hands in the air as the puck slid past a sprawling Vanecek for a 4-3 Washington lead. Less than a minute later, Dylan Strome doubled the lead to two goals at 5-3 on a deflection from an Ovechkin shot-pass that was looking for the Capitals center at the top of the crease. The back-to-back goals were the 11th time the Capitals have scored a pair of quick tallies in the opening minute of a period. T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin teamed up for the last quick-strike celebrations that last time it occurred for Washington in October 2017. 

Ovechkin slipped on the ice on a delayed penalty call against Florida to assist in Washington’s final goal of the afternoon. Washington’s captain fired a shot from his typical left circle area that ricocheted off Andrew Mangiapane’s skate and into the net for a 6-3 Capitals lead. After nine goals in the first two periods, there was no scoring in the third period. 

Washington improves to 46-15-8 at the top of the Metropolitan standings, while Florida falls into a first-place tie in the Atlantic Division with the Toronto Maple Leafs at 42-24-3 records. Washington travels to Winnipeg for a marquee NHL clash on Tuesday night. Florida hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night at home.