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Stumpel, Peltonen lead Panthers to shootout win vs. Capitals

Feb 28, 2007 - 5:06 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The Florida Panthers had been unlucky in their seven previous shootouts this season. Jozef Stumpel and Ville Peltonen changed all that.

Stumpel and Peltonen each scored in the shootout and captain Olli Jokinen had his fourth career hat trick as the Panthers posted a 6-5 victory over the Washington Capitals.

After Jokinen was stuffed on Florida's first attempt in the shootout, Stumpel converted by wristing a shot between the pads of goaltender Frederic Cassivi.

Florida netminder Ed Belfour made a glove save on Alex Ovechkin, who leads the team with 37 goals.

Peltonen ended the contest by making several moves before slapping the puck past Cassivi, giving the Panthers their first win in eight shootouts this season.

"I think it was this time last year that we won our last shootout," Jokinen said.

Florida beat Washington for a fourth straight time.

Juraj Kolnik scored the game's first goal and Stephen Weiss tallied 20 seconds after Jokinen as the Panthers opened a 3-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the contest.

Jokinen tallied twice in the opening period and again at the 3:29 mark of the second session for his third hat trick this season.

"It's nice to score goals but the bottom line right now is to get points in the standings," Jokinen said.

However, goals by Ovechkin - his second of the game - with 2:06 left in the second period and by Brooks Laich at the 6:07 mark of the third session knotted the contest at 5-5.

"We got behind and I'm proud of the way our guys came back," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "At the end, it was a pretty entertaining hockey game. Both teams had lots of chances."

Ovechkin also had two assists to become the first Washington player this season to register four points in a game.

"I play like this all the time, but today I felt like I had everything going and tried to control the game," Ovechkin said. "Coach felt it and gave me lots of opportunities. ... I played today unbelievable, I think."

Belfour stopped 28 shots for Florida (25-26-13), which moved within one game of reaching .500.

"Belfour stopped their top guys," Jokinen said. "He was our best player tonight and even though we scored five goals, who cares. Overall in the 60 minutes he made a lot of key saves and was outstanding."

Brent Johnson started in goal but allowed four goals in 15 attempts before being replaced at the start of the second period by Cassivi, who made 17 saves.

"Our team showed great character and never quit even when it was 3-0," Cassivi said. "It seemed like the last two periods the guys stepped up and played really tight defensively, making my job easier."

Washington fell to 1-8 in shootouts.