Time CAPSule - Caps at Florida, March 29, 2008

Earlier this season, we posted Alex Ovechkin](https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/early-times-of-the-great-eight/c-311761890) and another Nicklas Backstrom](https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/backstrom-takes-center-stage/c-313921356). In the process of crafting those stories and talking to the subjects themselves and many others, we were reminded of how exciting and thrilling the 2007-08 NHL season was in these parts.
It stands as Ovechkin's career year, it was Backstrom's rookie year, Bruce Boudreau took over behind the Washington bench on Thanksgiving Day, and the Caps made the playoffs for the first time in five years, winning 15 of 19, 11 of 12 and seven straight at season's end to come back from a dismal 6-14-1 start to win the Southeast Division title.
That season and that run into the playoffs augured in the "Rock The Red" era of hockey in DC, the beginning of 11 playoff appearances in a span of a dozen seasons. At this time a dozen years ago, the Caps were in the midst of that wild run. With the NHL's 2019-20 season "paused" for the foreseeable future, we're going to spend the next month looking back at the day-to-day of that remarkable late-season run, revisiting some of our coverage at the time with some fresh hindsight mixed in. On the off days between games, we will revisit some events from earlier in that landmark season. Enjoy!

Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Caps reach the end of the road on this day in 2008, taking on the Panthers in Florida in their final road game of the season and in the last of six straight games on the road. Washington comes into this one on a roll; the Caps have won three straight and seven of eight.
But they're still on the outside of the playoff chase, trailing eighth-place Boston by two points and sitting four points behind Carolina for the top spot in the Southeast Division. The Capitals four games remaining, and the Bruins hold a game in hand. Boston is hosting Ottawa on this Saturday night, while the Hurricanes are in Tampa Bay taking on the Lightning.
Washington is seeking its 40th win of the season, and it is vying for its 20th road win of the campaign against the Panthers. The Caps haven't won as many as 20 road games in a single season since 1993-94, when they won 21 games away from USAir Arena.
Upon returning to the District after this road finale in Florida, Washington has a three-game homestand ahead of it, all against Southeast Division foes.
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March 29 vs. Florida Panthers at BankAtlantic Center
Time: 7:30 pm
TV:Comcast SportsNet
Radio: 3WT 1500AM, 820 AM and 107.7 FM
Washington Capitals (39-31-8)
Florida Panthers (36-33-9)
Winners of seven of their last eight games, the Washington Capitals close out the road portion of their regular season in South Florida against the Panthers on Saturday night. The Caps will be seeking their 20th road win of the season.
Saturday night also marks Washington's sixth road game in succession. The Caps have won four of five to date, remaining in the hunt for one of the final remaining playoff berths. The Capitals have won three straight on the road, and six of their last eight away from Verizon Center.
The Caps bring a total of 86 points into Saturday's game with Florida. It's the most the team has mustered since it earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 92-point performance in 2002-03. At least 92 points are likely to be required for the Caps to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, and it may take more. The Caps could even max out at 94 and miss the dance altogether.
Each of the Caps' last three wins has been marked by comebacks and heroics. Last Friday in Atlanta, Nicklas Backstrom netted two third-period goals and Alex Ovechkin scored his 60th of the season to help the Caps erase a 3-1 third period deficit on their way to a 5-3 win. It is the only game this season in which Washington has rebounded from a deficit at the end of the second period to win a game.
On Tuesday in Carolina, the Caps trailed the Hurricanes 1-0 after the first 20 minutes of play. The Canes had been 21-4 when leading after one period this season, but Viktor Kozlov's shootout goal and Cristobal Huet's sparkling netminding made shootout losers of the Canes that night.
Facing the Lightning in Tampa Bay on Thursday, the Caps fell into a 3-2 third period hole. But Sergei Fedorov's textbook face-off win and shovel pass to Alexander Semin set up the latter's one-timer for the tying goal. Tomas Fleischmann won it for the Caps in overtime.
The Cardiac Caps have played 41 one-goal games in their 78 contests to date, third most in the NHL. Washington has a 21-12-8 record in one-goal games, and is tied for the sixth most one-goal wins in the league.
Heading into Friday night's NHL action, the Capitals rank seventh in the NHL in power play success with a 19.2% conversion rate. Washington has struggled a bit in the special teams department lately, going 1-for-15 (6.7%) with the extra man in its last four games and surrendering at least one power play goal in each of its last six contests.
The Panthers put on a valiant late burst for a playoff bid, but it is destined to fall short. With only four games remaining, Florida is now all but mathematically eliminated from reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1999-00. No team in the league has endured a longer current playoff drought.
Florida tied a franchise record in winning seven straight games from Mar. 2-17, and it went 8-0-1 to start the month. But the Panthers had dug too deep of an early season hole, and their late run won't be enough to get them into the Eastern Conference's top eight. Two straight losses to Tampa Bay and Atlanta - the bottom two clubs in the Southeast Division - have sapped Florida's playoff hopes.
Florida's power play is sixth best in the NHL with a 19.4% success rate. The Panthers have killed off 82% of their opponents' power play chances this season, the 17th best rate in the NHL. Florida is 16-for-16 on the penalty kill in its last five games.
Fun Fact: A forward has scored each of Washington's last 44 goals. The Caps have not had a goal from a defenseman since Mike Green's first period power play strike against the Devils on Feb. 29. Despite the lack of production from the back, the Caps are 9-4 in those 13 games.
And despite the recent lack of goal production from the defense, the Washington blueliners continue to pick up the points. With his assist on Tomas Fleischmann's overtime game-winner on Thursday in Tampa, Green became the first Caps defenseman to reach the 50-point plateau since Sergei Gonchar totaled 67 in 2002-03.
All Washington defensemen have combined for 32 goals and 138 points this season. The goal total is the most since Caps' blueliners found the back of the net 48 times in 2001-02. The point total is the highest amassed by a group of Washington defensemen since the 2000-01 bunch racked up 147.
Injuries
Florida Panthers
Defenseman Noah Welch underwent shoulder surgery and is out indefinitely.
Defenseman Mike Van Ryn has a wrist injury and is out indefinitely.
Center Garth Murray underwent shoulder surgery and is out indefinitely.
Left wing Richard Zednik has a neck laceration and is out indefinitely.
Washington
Defenseman Brian Pothier has an upper body injury and is day-to-day.
Center Michael Nylander underwent shoulder surgery and is out 3-6 months.
Right wing Chris Clark has a groin injury and is day-to-day.

Center David Steckel has a broken finger and is day-to-day.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Florida Forwards
10-Booth, 9-Weiss, 16-Horton
53-McLean, 15-Stumpel, 85-Olesz
14-Dvorak, 12-Jokinen, 7-Montador
11-Campbell, 54-Kreps, 33-Belak
Florida Defensemen
4-Bouwmeester, 3-Skrastins
21-Murphy, 5-Allen
6-Johansson, 22-Cullimore
Goaltenders

29-Vokoun, 31-Anderson
Washington Forwards

8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
28-Semin, 91-Fedorov, 24-Cooke
43-Fleischmann, 21-Laich, 14-Fehr
87-Brashear, 15-Gordon, 10-Bradley

Washington Defensemen

26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
55-Schultz, 3-Poti
4-Erskine, 23-Jurcina

Goaltenders

37-Kolzig, 38-Huet