Washington Capitals

Game #16 Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers

Where: BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL

When: November 6, 2009 7:30 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 7-5-1-1
Caps Game 16 Record: 16-14-4-0
All-Time vs. FLA: 39-32-9-6
All-Time at FLA: 19-19-4-1
Last Season vs. FLA: 3-3-0
Last Meeting: 4/11/09, WAS 4 FLA 7

This Year:

WAS Record: 8-3-4
Standings Points: 20
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 2nd
Last Game: 11/4/09, WAS 2 NJ 3
Streak: Loss 3

FLA Record: 5-7-1
Standings Points: 11
Division Rank: 4th
Conference Rank: 13th
Last Game: 11/4/09, FLA 3 CAR 0
Streak: Win 3

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 19 BACKSTROM, 22 KNUBLE
Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 9 MORRISON, 28 SEMIN
Forward Line 3: 89 SLOAN, 85 PERREAULT, 17 CLARK
Forward Line 4: 53 LAING, 39 STECKEL, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 23 JURCINA, 3 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 55 SCHULTZ, 2 POTHIER
Goalie: 60 THEODORE
Back-up Goalie: 40 VARLAMOV

Florida
Forward Line 1: 61 STILLMAN, 9 WEISS, 16 HORTON
Forward Line 2: 85 OLESZ, 27 REINPRECHT, 67 FROLIK
Forward Line 3: 11 CAMPBELL, 19 MOORE, 32 REPIK
Forward Line 4: 71 MCARDLE, 28 KREPS, 6 KOISTINEN
Defense Pair 1: 24 MCCABE, 2 BALLARD
Defense Pair 2: 4 SEIDENBERG, 5 ALLEN
Defense Pair 3: 43 KULIKOV, 44 LEOPOLD
Goalie: 29 VOKOUN
Back-up Goalie: 30 CLEMMENSEN

Injuries:
Washington - 8 OVECHKIN (upper body) WTW, 15 GORDON (back) DTD, 16 FEHR (upper body) DTD

Florida - 10 BOOTH (concussion) IR, 14 DVORAK (knee) IR, 74 TARNASKY (broken orbital bone) IR

Caps Milestones:
Tom Poti needs 3 points to reach 300 in his career.
Brendan Morrison needs 6 shots on goal to reach 1,400 for his career.

Preview:
After a third period meltdown that cost the team the game against the Devils, the Caps look to make amends against the Florida Panthers. Three late penalties cost the Caps as a 1-1 tie turned into a 3-1 deficit. The Caps are learning the hard way that discipline matters and you can’t turn on and off intensity. It’s a message being drilled into their heads by Head Coach Bruce Boudreau but so far has failed to hit home. This game will is the second without Alex Ovechkin and Florida is surging with a 3-game winning streak. Look for the Capitals to play a simplified game with lots of hitting and grinding. The Caps need to take advantage of their size and speed. Watch Alexander Semin in this game, in the Jersey game he was about as bad as he could be and will look to bounce back. In his career Semin has 10 goals and 12 assists in 25 games against Florida. I’m thinking a 1-goal game into the third with the Caps pulling out the victory with a solid effort for 60 minutes.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 3 FLA 1

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