Capitals 5, Panthers 2
All-Star Alex Ovechkin recorded a goal and two assists while Mike Knuble and Jason Chimera scored power-play goals as the Washington Capitals took firm control of first place in the Eastern Conference with a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in their final regular-season home game on Wednesday.
Defenseman Sean Collins and Matt Hendricks also tallied, Brooks Laich and Nicklas Backstrom notched two assists apiece and Semyon Varlamov made 18 of his 31 saves in the first period for the Capitals (48-22-11), who went 8-0-1 in their last nine contests at the Verizon Center.
Washington also moved four points ahead of idle Philadelphia in the East with one game remaining. The Flyers have two contests left on their schedule.
Knuble scored his seventh goal in nine games just 80 seconds into the first period and Chimera doubled Washington's lead with 37 seconds remaining in the session, converting a pass from behind the net by Backstrom. Collins made it 3-0 midway through the second and Hendricks gave the Capitals a four-goal bulge at 6:37 of the third.
David Booth spoiled Varlamov's shutout bid with 6:16 to play, beating the goaltender from the left faceoff circle during a power play for his 23rd goal of the season. Mike Santorelli scored for just the second time in 21 games late in the third, but Ovechkin sealed the win with an empty-netter with 12 seconds left.
Sergei Samsonov set up both goals and Scott Clemmensen stopped 20 shots for the Panthers, who have lost eight straight road games and nine in a row overall.