This Date in Caps History - March 22

On March 22, 1992 the Washington Capitals defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 in a Sunday matinee contest at the Capital Centre.

Edmonton's Joe Murphy scored the lone goal of the first period - his 30th of the season - at 15:39. The Capitals fired 12 shots on Edmonton goaltender Ron Tugnutt in the first while the Oilers answered with seven on Washington's Jim Hrivnak.

Dino Ciccarelli evened the score at 1-1 on a Washington power play at 6:06 of the second period, Al Iafrate and Mike Ridley assisting. The goal was Ciccarelli's 33rd of the season. Just 1:40 later, the Caps took the lead for good on Iafrate's 17th goal of the season, Peter Bondra and Michal Pivonka assisting. At 13:14 of the second period, Ciccarelli made it 3-1 Washington with his second of the afternoon, this one an unassisted tally. At the 18:30 mark of the second, Dmitri Khristich scored his 33rd of the season to push the Washington advantage to 4-1. Calle Johansson and Kevin Hatcher assisted on Khristich's power play goal. The Capitals slammed the Oliers in second period shots on goal, 17-4.

Hatcher tallied at 12:06 of the third period with help from Alan May and Nick Kypreos. Bondra netted the Capitals' sixth unanswered goal and his 27th of the season on a Washington power play at 15:16 with Ridley earning the lone assist. Bernie Nicholls closed out the scoring for the Oilers at 17:32 of the final frame. The Caps held an 11-9 third period advantage in shots on goal and doubled up on the Oilers in shots for the game at 40-20.

With a goal and an assist, Iafrate was the game's number one star. Ciccarelli's two goals - including what proved to be the game-winner - earned him the afternoon's second star. Hatcher got the third star, also with a goal and an assist.