Eight not enough: Caps make it nine straight

By Bud L. Ellis

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Washington Captials got plenty of offense and solid goaltending Friday night.

It’s a recipe the Caps have shaken, stirred, served and repeated throughout a torrid January that’s vaulted the team to the top of the Eastern Conference. And it was more of the same Friday, the Caps extending their winning streak to nine with a 4-1 victory over Florida at the Verizon Center.

Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble each has three-point nights, Knuble scoring twice, as the Caps improved to 12-2 in January. A win Sunday at Florida, on the final day of the month, will set a franchise record for most victories in a month (the Caps also won 12 games in December 1984), and will tie the team mark for longest winning streak, 10, set in 1983-84.

Washington (36-12-6) leads the East with 78 points, six ahead of New Jersey and seven ahead of Buffalo. The win ties the Caps for second in points earned this season with Chicago, one behind San Jose.

Backstrom opened the scoring 7:26 into the first period with his 22nd goal of the season. The Panthers tied it at 4:22 of the second, sneaking a shot past rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth.

But Neuvirth stopped Florida from there, making 35 saves. And the Caps’ high-powered offense took care of things the rest of the night.

Knuble tipped in an Alex Ovechkin shot just 25 seconds after Florida tied the game. Jeff Schultz scored 4:46 into the third to make it 3-1. Knuble scored later in the third to put it away, his 11th goal in his past 12 games.

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Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 11:38 am by bud

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Jeff Schultz, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nicklas Backstrom, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals