Panthers fall to Caps again

WASHINGTON (AP) - Tomas Fleischmann scored twice during a

five-goal third period, and the short-handed Washington Capitals

beat the Florida Panthers 7-4 Saturday night for a sweep of their

home-and-home series.

Washington played a third straight game without two-time NHL MVP

Alex Ovechkin, who has an upper body injury. The Capitals were also

without injured defensemen Mike Green and Jeff Schultz, both of

whom were hurt Friday night during a 4-1 victory in Florida.

But the Capitals prevailed anyway. Getting 23 saves from

goaltender Jose Theodore and goals 40 seconds apart from Mathieu

Perreault and Quintin Laing, Washington defeated the Panthers for

the second time in two nights.