Caps/Panthers Preview

Washington Capitals (19-18-7, 45 points) at Florida Panthers (16-21-9, 41 points)
TV: CW Network (WDCW 50)
Radio: WTNT 570-AM
Time: 7:30 PM

The Caps will try to right their ship tonight in the second game of their season long four game road trip from the sunshine state. Hopefully the warm weather in Miami will add fuel their fire as the key to the game will again be to get off to a quick start, something this team has had trouble doing as of late. Florida has started to turn their season around recently, posting a 6-3-3 mark in their last twelve games. However, the Caps should be able to take advantage of a tired Panthers squad who will play their third game in four nights. Not a must win game, but definitely a team the Capitals should beat. They are currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind both Tampa Bay and Toronto who are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Now for some more morning thoughts:

• Time to call Kris Beech out. This could be one of your last opportunities to prove that you belong not only with the Capitals but in the NHL altogether. If his play continues to falter, look for the Caps to make acquiring a second line center for the stretch run their number one priority.
• What will Donald Brashear have in store for us tonight? After his impressive assist on Ben Clymer's goal against Tampa on Thursday night, and a goal against his former team on Tuesday, how about a Gordie Howe hat trick for an encore?
• Can Alexander Semin continue on his tear and add another two goal game to his resume? He's closing in fast on the NHL leaders in goals.
• I would assume that Brent Johnson would get the start tonight. After signing his extension yesterday, hopefully "Jonny" will be on the spot.

Down on the Farm:
An excellent performance for Caps goaltending prospect Maxime Daigneault as he turned away all 30 shots he faced during the 65 minutes of regulation and overtime, then stopped all 4 shootout attempts as the Hershey Bears defeated the Binghamton Senators 1-0. Kyle Wilson and Eric Fehr scored in the shootout to secure the win ending the Bears' season long three game losing streak. The game marked the halfway point of the season for Hershey whose is tied with Norfolk for the division lead with 59 points. They travel to Bridgeport tonight to take on the Sound Tigers. Gametime 7:00 PM. Visit www.hersheypa.com/events/hershey_bears/ to catch all the live action from b2networks.
Looks as though things are not going well for Sasha Pokulok as he tries to return from a severe concussion he received during the first game of the season. Click here for the full article about his condition from pennlive.com.
The South Carolina Stingrays fell 2-1 at the Florida Everblades last night. They will try to get a different result in a rematch tonight at 7:30 PM from Germain Arena. Visit www.stingrayshockey.com to catch all the live action from b2networks.

Thanks to The Kevin Hatcher Fan Club for his honor of Capital Fanatic being the 23rd blog added to his "Other Caps Blogs" links.

Capital Fanatic