Pre-Cap: Capitals vs. Panthers

Such a shame that many fans will not be able to witness such an "intense" Southeast Division tilt as the Capitals take on the Florida Panthers!

For the last time this season, the Capitals will be blacked out due to the Versus exclusivity deal. So get ready for another evening of erratic pitch changes from Steve Kolbe when the Capitals dump the puck or shoot 20 feet wide of the net.

Washington Capitals (13-8-3, last game 3-0 loss to Columbus)
vs.
Florida Panthers (9-11-3, last game 4-0 win over New York Rangers)

The story so far...
The Capitals started November with a game to forget and ended it in the same fashion. Fighting off more injuries than you could shake a hockey stick at, the Capitals are looking to get back on the winning track and exit the rink with a healthy team.

Key Players
WSH: Nicklas Backstrom
6 assists in 8 games against the Panthers. 17 points in his last 12 games. Backstrom has been sharp as of late, and his passing is getting even more creative. Did you see him pass over the net to Ovechkin? Facing a depleted defense in Florida, Backstrom could go on a rampage.
FL: Kamil Kreps
What is it about players with funny names scoring on the Capitals. Kreps terrorized the Capitals last season, earning top star honors in February and has 4 goals and 2 assists against the team. He's not an extremely dangerous player, but he's worth keeping an eye on.

Change of location
Former Jack Adams winner Jacques Martin was relieved of his coaching duties last season. He is now the Florida Panthers' GM. His goal? Turn the team around and make the playoffs in one year. Here's a good Q and A with the former bench boss about the transistion from coach to general manager. Here.

Not-so-great moments in NHL advertising
Continuing my quest to find the worst NHL ads ever created, I stumbled upon this gem. Former Panther Olli Jokinen and pals take a trip to Panera bread for lunch. The comment section below best sums up the video with "I've seen better acting in pornos."



Power-less
The Panthers power play ranks 27th in the league. Their penalty kill sits at 11th though.

Feeling the hurt
The Capitals aren't the only team decimated by injuries. The Panthers are also in the middle of an injury bug with six players missing from the lineup. One of them, David Booth, is the team's top scorer.

Unhappy trails
The Panthers have not won a game when trailing after the first period or second period this season.

Nothing gets the crowd going like a Banana
Worst mascot ever or worst mascot ever?


Mr. 100
Matt Bradley's next NHL point will be his 100th. Let's hope it's a game-winning-goal!

LET'S GO CAPS!