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Bouwmeester, Weiss leads Panthers to rout of Capitals

Jan 14, 2007 - 5:22 AM SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester learned early in the day he was chosen the participate in his first NHL All-Star Game. Later, he showed why.

Bouwmeester scored two goals and added a pair of assists and Stephen Weiss recorded his first career hat trick as the Florida Panthers rolled to a 7-3 victory over the Washington Capitals.

The third overall pick in the 2002 draft, Bouwmeester opened the scoring 95 seconds into the game and completed his first career multi-goal performance with 64 ticks remaining in the middle period. Both tallies came on one-timers from the right faceoff circle that beat goaltender Olaf Kolzig.

"It's nice to be honored like that, but the most important thing is to help the team win and get to where we want to be," Bouwmeester said. "We know where we are and it's not where we want to be, so for me, I want to live up to that (All-Star selection) by helping us get into the playoffs."

Bouwmeester has three goals and six assists in his last five games, while Weiss' tallies halted a seven-game drought.

The 23-year-old Bouwmeester also set up goals by Rostislav Olesz and Weiss for a career-high four points.

"Sure, you always appreciate something like that (All-Star selection) because it's a recognition of what you've done and an appreciation of your effort," Bouwmeester said. "You work hard to help your team, and if it results in something like that, it makes it so much better."

Entering with eight tallies in 38 games this season, Weiss netted even-strength tallies with just under six minutes left in the second and 4 1/2 minutes into the third before capping his hat trick on the power play midway through the final session.

"Personally, things were bouncing my way," Weiss said. "The hat trick feels really good. I was wondering if I was ever going to get one of them. I was just fortunate to have been able to be in the right place at the right time."

Chris Gratton also scored and Nathan Horton added two assists for the Panthers, who outshot the Capitals, 54-17.

"We got caught all night in our end and paid the price," Kolzig said. "Our positional play was just not there tonight. I haven't faced that many shots since probably the World Cup back in '96. You are certainly never prepared for it, but obviously, they came at us with everything they had."

Gratton's tally was his first in 10 games. His last goal came in a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on December 21.

Alexander Semin, captain Chris Clark and Matt Pettinger scored for Washington, which won the previous two meetings between the teams this season.

"When you start off bad, it gives the other team more energy," Clark said. "It kind of feeds off itself, and before you know it, things have just snowballed. When you give up that many shots, it's just a given that pucks are going to go in the net."

Washington star Alex Ovechkin, who was voted as a starter for the All-Star Game, had his five-game points streak snapped.