Ryan Lomberg scored the game-winning goal with 5:32 left in the third period as the host Florida Panthers sent the Washington Capitals to their sixth straight loss with a 4-2 win on Thursday night in Sunrise, Fla.
The Panthers, who have won five of their past six games, also got one goal and two assists from Matthew Tkachuk, one goal from Sam Reinhart and 21 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky.
Dmitry Kulikov earned the go-ahead assist as his pass from behind Washington’s goal connected with Lomberg, who lifted his shot over Darcy Kuemper’s glove.
It was just Lomberg’s third goal of the season and his first since Nov. 14.
Eetu Luostarinen then scored an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left to ice the game.
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored for the third straight game. Ovechkin has just 11 goals this season but tallied career goal No. 833, second only to Wayne Gretzky.
The Capitals also got a goal from Anthony Mantha and 37 saves from Kuemper.
Reinhart ranks second in the NHL with 38 goals. His power-play goal on Thursday was his 25th special-teams tally of the season, breaking Pavel Bure’s franchise record.
In addition, Reinhart leads the NHL this season with 21 power-play goals.
Washington opened the scoring on a power-play goal with 16:38 expired in the first period. Rasmus Sandin earned the primary assist as his pass set up Ovechkin’s blistering shot from the left circle.
The Panthers tied the score with 4:29 gone in the second when Gustav Forsling’s shot went in off Tkachuk’s right skate.
The Capitals took a 2-1 lead with 5:57 left in the second. The play started when Aliaksei Protas stripped Tkachuk of the puck in the neutral zone. Protas then passed to Michael Sgarbossa, who dished to Mantha for the redirect over Bobrovsky’s glove.
The period ended in a 2-2 tie after Florida’s power-play goal with 2:28 left. The play was set up when Tom Wilson elbowed Kevin Stenlund twice and fired a punch to the face for good measure.
Twelve seconds later, Tkachuk’s shot was deflected in by Reinhart.
After Lomberg’s goal, the Panthers killed off a penalty on Brandon Montour for a cross-check, and that set up the empty-netter.
–Field Level Media
