Caps @ Thrashers 3-16-2009 Wrap Up/ Caps @ Panthers 3-17-2009 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times: ugly loss, NHL Report. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: sixth in a row, how they've done it. Thrashers.com.

Final Thoughts:

If they're just waiting for the playoffs to turn it on, they'll be here soon enough.

71 down, 11 to go.


Washington Capitals (43-28; 92 points; 1st Southeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference, 5th Overall) @ Florida Panthers (34-35; 78 points; 3rd Southeast Division, 9th Eastern Conference, 15th Overall):
Caps Game #72, Road Game #35, NHL Game #1,045

BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL, 7:38 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Florida TV: Fox SportsNet Florida+. Radio: WAXY 790-AM. NHL Center Ice: Fox SportsNet Florida+ feed.

Tonight the Caps get right back at it when they face the Panthers in Florida. The Panthers are coming off a 4-3 gimmick loss at home to the Ning on Saturday night. The Panthers have lost three games in a row with two of those losses coming in gimmicks. This has temporarily slid the Panthers outside of the Eastern Conference Playoff by a single point, but they have two games in hand on the 8th place Carolina Hurricanes. This is Florida's second game of a five game homestand.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Miami Herald: McCabe returning, key player. Panthers.com.

What Do We Expect Tonight?:

Well first of all, a better effort at the start of the game. But what the Caps really need is a sense of purpose. So expect to hear, once again, about how tonight's game will all but officially sew up the Southeast Division title. A win in regulation tonight would put the Caps 8 points away from exactly that. The Panthers though have been blowing third period leads lately and seem to be entering a funk at the worst possible time for them but the Caps don't want to have to count on that tonight. They'll want to get out to an early lead and play their game for sixty minutes.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Panthers 3
Winner by Weiss

(8-8 on the season)