This Date in Caps History - March 12

On March 12, 1996, the Capitals put a 9-0 beating on the Vancouver Canucks at USAir Arena.

Washington winger Pat Peake got the scoring started when he netted his 15th of the season at 6:32 of the first. Todd Krygier and Joe Juneau picked up the assists. Juneau registered his 300th career point with the assist. The Capitals put 10 shots on Vancouver goaltender Kirk McLean while the Canucks had eight shots against Washington netminder Jim Carey.

Peake's second of the night and 16th of the season made it 2-0 Capitals at 2:15 of the second. Linemates Juneau and Krygier again claimed the assists. That line struck again at 7:49 when Krygier scored his 10th of the season and first since being reacquired from Anaheim four days earlier. Juneau got the lone assist. At 11:16, Calle Johansson picked up his ninth goal of the season on a Washington power play, Peter Bondra and Michal Pivonka assisting. Kelly Miller scored his fifth of the season with help from Dale Hunter at 13:43. With just 52 seconds left in the second period, Sergei Gonchar made it 6-0 with his 11th goal of the season. Gonchar's goal came on a Washington power play with assists from Pivonka and Craig Berube. The Caps outshot the Canucks by a 12-6 margin in the second, putting five of the 12 shots in the net.

McLean was relieved by Corey Hirsch to start the third period. Mark Tinordi scored his third of the year with an assist from Hunter at 2:22 of the third. At 8:08, Krygier scored his second goal of the game and registered his fourth point of the night to make it 8-0, Washington. Peake and Johansson were credited with the assists. Bondra closed out the scoring at 9:03 with his 30th goal of the season, Berube and Pivonka assisting. The Capitals outshot the Canucks 9-7 in the third period and 31-21 on the night.

Krygier's four-point career night earned him the game's number one star. Peake had two goals and three points, good enough for the second star designation. Carey's 21-save shutout enabled him to come away with third star honors.