The battle for Southeast Division supremacy: Florida Visit The Washington
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Frank Martin
The battle for Southeast Division supremacy resumes Tuesday when the Florida Panthers visit the Washington Capitals. The teams are a point apart in the standings, a development that has taken on added significance given the current Eastern Conference landscape.
With the Southeast lagging behind the other two divisions, the division-leading Panthers rank third in the conference while the second-place Capitals find themselves in ninth, three points outside the playoff picture. Washington is coming off a thorough 4-1 beating at the hands of the defending champion Boston Bruins, a game in which the Capitals simply couldn't figure out netminder Tim Thomas. "We got a lot of chances, but Thomas came up big," Washington coach Dale Hunter said.
"A goalie like that can make a difference." The Panthers are also coming in on a low note after dropping a 6-3 decision to the state-rival Tampa Bay Lightning. It was only the second time this season the Panthers have dropped a regulation game after scoring three or more goals.
- Florida Panthers @ Washington Capitals
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Panthers), CS Maryland (Capitals)
The Capitals have opened as 160-moneyline favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NHL Hockey Odds.
Florida Panthers (24-16-11): Knee injuries to Jose Theodore and Jacob Markstrom have left the Panthers woefully thin in goal, leaving the starting role in the hands of journeyman Scott Clemmensen. The 34-year-old has held his own so far, posting a solid 8-3-5 record with a 2.73 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and one shutout. Florida is dealing with injury issues at every position, with defenseman Ed Jovanovski and forwards Dmitry Kulikov and Scottie Upshall among those on IR.
Washington Capitals (27-21-4): Washington is already without playmaking center Nicklas Backstrom, who continues to deal with concussion symptoms, and may have lost forward Brooks Laich for a while. Laich left the loss to the Bruins with a sprained knee. Laich is one of the Capitals most reliable two-way forwards, with 10 goals and 18 assists in 52 games this season. He has been hot of late, with a goal and three assists in his last four games.
1. Florida has won two of three meetings this season, with the home team prevailing each time.
2. Panthers forward Kris Versteeg has three goals and three assists during a four-game points streak. Teammate Mikael Samuelsson also has points in four straight games (four goals, one assist).
NHL PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Capitals 2
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brooks laich - dale hunter - ed jovanovski - florida panthers - jacob markstrom - jose theodore - kris versteeg - nicklas backstrom - tim thomas - verizon center
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