Huberdeau leads Panthers past Caps 5-2 for 4th straight win
WASHINGTON (AP) Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice during a three-point night and Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist to help the Florida Panthers beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 Tuesday in a matchup of Eastern Conference division leaders.
The Atlantic Division-leading Panthers also got a goal from Vincent Trocheck, an empty-netter from Quinton Howden and 36 saves from backup goalie Al Montoya as they won their fourth game in a row. They took advantage of backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer and the absence of Washington star Alex Ovechkin, who was required to sit out after missing the NHL All-Star Game with an injury.
Florida scored on two of its four power plays while the Capitals went 0 for 8 in a game full of whistles. Nicklas Backstrom and Andre Burakovsky scored for Washington.
