George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — Lars Eller scored twice, hometown kid made good Jakob Chychrun scored what turned out to be the game-winner and the Washington Capitals handed the Florida Panthers their fourth consecutive loss with a 4-1 win at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.
Chychrun’s 5-on-3 power-play goal early in the third period gave Washington (14-6-1) its first lead of the game at 2-1.
Washington added a pair of empty-net goals in the final minutes of the third to wrap things up.
The Panthers, with losses in six of their past seven, are reeling right now.
Do they know how to fix it?
“There is a piece of our game that is missing and we are going to have to find it,” coach Paul Maurice said.
What he believes that piece to be, Maurice is not saying.
“I think we had it at times, but not for a long period of time. We missed some chances and stuff, but we probably were good for seven, eight minutes at the end of the second period. We earned that. We have to stretch that out for longer periods of time.’’
Logan Thompson (9-1-1) made 20 saves in the win, one that ended Washington’s two-game slide.
Niko Mikkola scored for Florida (12-9-1) in the first to make it 1-0.
The Florida Panthers did not get another past Thompson and that was all for Spencer Knight (3-4-0) who only gave up the two goals (two were into an empty net) and made 27 saves.
“There are going to be good games and bad games. I think it’s just trying to find ways to give your team a chance to get into it,” said Knight, who has given up two goals in each of his past two losses — with the Panthers scoring one goal against the Blackhawks and Capitals.
“I know we have a lot of tremendous players. When they flip the switch, they’re almost impossible to stop. I see every day in practice how good they are. I don’t have a doubt in my mind that these guys are going to turn it around. It’s unbelievable watching them.”
Sam Reinhart had his 13-game scoring streak come to an end.
It was the second such streak for Reinhart in the past two seasons, which is tied for second-longest in franchise history behind Mike Hoffman (2018-19).
It is also the longest scoring streak in the NHL this season.
Florida opened the scoring at the 7-minute mark of the first period, Mikkola scoring off the rush by roofing a feed from Sam Bennett.
The Panthers were held to four shots on goal in the opening period.
Washington tied the score at 17:49 of the first, Eller driving in on Knight and also going top shelf.
The two teams played a scoreless second: Thompson stopped all 11 shots faced in the period; Knight made eight saves.
Chychrun, who not only is a native of Boca Raton but grew up running around the Sunrise arena as if it was his own, gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal at 1:18 of the third.
With two Florida defensemen — Uvis Balinskis and Aaron Ekblad — in the penalty box, Chychrun unleashed a slap shot from the top of the slot that beat Knight.
Eller pretty much ended things, driving in and scoring into an empty net with 1:28 remaining to make it 3-1.
Ivan Miroshnichenko made it 4-1 with a second empty-net goal with 23 seconds left.
“It was a good battle,’’ Mikkola said. “Washington is a good team and they gave their best. I think we are a little off right now, not getting the bounces. Tough loss.”