This Date in Caps History - March 13

On March 13, 1987, the Capitals put a 10-2 beating on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Capital Centre.

Gary Leeman got Toronto on the board first at 2:18 of the first period. Lou Franceschetti netted his 11th of the season at 4:22 of the first to knot the score at 1-1. Dave Christian scored his 20th of the season at 18:14 of the first to give the Caps a lead. Washington outshot the Leafs by a 12-5 margin in the first frame.

Toronto's Wendel Clark scored his 30th of the season on a Toronto power play at 4:44 of the second to tie the score at 2-2. At 14:49 of the second, Larry Murphy scored his 20th of the season on a Capitals power play to give Washington a lead it would not relinquish. The Caps launched 17 shots at Toronto's Ken Wreggett in the second while the Leafs managed only five against Washington's Bob Mason.

The third period was scoreless for nearly nine minutes before all hell broke loose. Mike Gartner scored his 36th of the season at 8:49 to make it 4-2 Caps. Toronto's Greg Terrion was whistled for holding at 9:32 and the Caps' Craig Laughlin made him pay just over a minute later. Laughlin's power play goal - his 20th tally of the season - chased Wreggett to the bench as Allan Bester took over between the pipes for the Leafs. The Caps reached Wreggett for five goals on 37 shots during his 50:37 in the nets.

At 15:24, Toronto's Clark was given a five-minute major for fighting and a two-minute minor for instigating. Franceschetti received only a two-minute minor for roughing, so the Caps set out on a five-minute power play. At 16:07, Gartner scored his second of the game to make it 6-2 Washington. At 16:52, Toronto's "Big Daddy" McGill was slapped with a five-minute major for fighting, giving the Capitals a 5-on-3 advantage for the remainder of the game.

From that point on, it was open season on Bester as the Caps scored four 5-on-3 power play goals in a span of 1:56. Garry Galley scored his sixth of the season, Dave Jensen scored his sixth and his seventh and Ed Kastelic scored the first of the two goals he would score during his 73-game stint in a Capitals uniform. The Caps pummeled Toronto with 22 shots to the Leafs' 10 in the third and outshot their foes by 51-20 on the night. Bester gave up five goals - all on the power play - in just 14 shots.

The seven power play goals in one game is a record as is the eight power play goals by both teams.