Pre-Game Notes

The Capitals are about 45 minutes from dropping the puck against the Florida Panthers. This is the fifth meeting of the season for the Caps and Panthers with Washington having won the previous four.

The Capitals won the first three meetings with Florida with relative ease, 4-1, 7-4, and 6-2. The f ourth meeting was far more arduous as the Capitals overcame at 4-1 second period deficit to beat the Panthers, 5-4, in a shootout.

Tomas Fleischmann scored the decisive goal.

With a win tonight, the Capitals will have won nine straight games, a feat no Capitals team has accomplished since February of 1984. That Caps team won a franchise record 10 straight games from January 27, 1984-February 18, 1984.

During the current eight game streak, the Capitals have outscored their opponent 40-18; an average of 5-2 per game.

Here are a few more notes to keep in mind as you watch tonight's contest:

Route 28 –Alexander Semin has back-to-back two-goal games and points in seven straight (6g-8a), tied for the longest active streak in the NHL. Semin has 11 goals and 10 assists in his last 12 games, all in January, putting him second in the month in goals and third in points. It’s the best point-scoring month of his career and one shy of his best goal-scoring month (12 in January 2007). Semin ranks fifth in the NHL in goals per game (0.57) and seventh in points per game (1.20; entering Thursday’s games).
Goal oriented –The Capitals lead the NHL with 203 goals, 26 more (or 12.8% more) than any other team. Washington leads the league in goals per game (3.83), even-strength goals (133), power-play goals (53), road goals (103), first-period goals (66) and third period goals (71). At their current pace the Capitals would finish as the highest scoring team since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins.
K Street –Mike Knuble has goals in five of the last seven games and has nine goals in the last 11 games. His nine goals this month are tied for sixth in the NHL and mark the best goal-scoring month he has had since March 2003 (11). With 16 goals –despite missing 12 games with a broken finger –Knuble is tied for the league goal-scoring lead among players 35 and older.
Follow the leader –The Capitals are 11-1-0 since Alex Ovechkin was named the team captain Jan. 5. Ovechkin has 23 points in those 12 games (8g-15a) and shares the NHL lead in points for January.
Follow the leader II –Alex Ovechkin leads the league in goals per game (0.76), points per game (1.62), plus/minus (+32) and shots on goal (237). He is closing in on the league leaders in goals (one behind Patrick Marleau) and points (three behind Henrik Sedin).