(Photo credit: Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
LL Cool J once said, “Don’t call it a comeback.” And though ladies loved Cool J, that much can’t be said about the Florida Panthers, who got some revenge over the Washington Capitals in a 4-3 overtime victory. The Caps could almost call it a comeback, finding themselves down 3-0 in the second period before forcing overtime. Marcus Johansson scored his first two goals away from Verizon Center and even though the Caps didn’t win, “Mojo Said Knock You Out” should become a fixture on Brett Leonhardt’s pre-game playlist.
- Yes, the Caps came back, but part of that had to do with the fact that they were playing the Florida Panthers. The most haunting statistic of the night? Florida was 3-of-6 on the power play. The Panthers entered the game with the NHL’s worst power play, but were able to score more than two PP goals in one game for the first time all season. The 33-of-34 penalty killing streak came to an end very early when the Caps found themselves down two men for two minutes. Nicklas Backstrom committed a penalty during a delayed call on Mike Knuble. A rare situation, but a fitting end to a dominant streak. Regardless, the Caps shouldn’t get sloppy. Their six shorthanded situations were the most since December 9 against, you guessed it, the Panthers.
- Michal Neuvirth got his first start since December 23 and. despite a shaky start, played quite well for someone who hasn’t played in a few weeks. Neuvirth made some highlight-reel saves and single-handedly kept the Caps in the game early on when they were outshot 20-7 in the first period. Semyon Varlamov will get the start Wednesday, but Neuvirth’s 37 save performance will further complicate the Capitals’ goaltending situation.
- Welcome back to Brian Willsie. Willsie, a former Capital who spent the entire 2005-06 season with the team, got just 6:15 of ice time, but had an assist on Johansson’s first goal and drew a penalty. He might not be around for much longer, but it was nice to see a deserving player display his talents again.
- Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green combined for two assists, plus-3 and 10 shots after being announced for the All-Star Game. Whether they deserve it is up for discussion, but both were involved all night long. Green led the team in TOI, while Ovechkin was third.
With the overtime point, the Caps and Tampa Bay Lightning are tied headed into their much-anticipated game Wednesday night. Last week’s similarly-anticipated match-up ended in a 1-0 overtime game. Anything goes.
