Moments after the final buzzer at The BankAtlantic Center on Friday, Kris Versteeg found himself in a skirmish with several Capitals. He even dropped his gloves and had to be restrained by a referee.

If Florida had shown that kind of fight in the third period, Friday’s 2-1 loss to Washington might have turned out differently. Instead, the Panthers dropped a trend-bucking, heartbreaking game to the Capitals, and now cling to a two-point lead over Washington in the Southeast Division.

“When you have a lead, you at least try to get a point out of it,” Versteeg said. “But we found a way to lose tonight.”

Through two periods the Panthers rallied behind Jose Theodore, the veteran goalie who was starting for the first time against his former team. Theodore stopped 30 shots in the first 40 minutes, including 17 in the second period.

“[Theodore] was great all game for us,” Brian Campbell said. “He’s been great all season, and he’s always there for us.”

Theodore’s excellent play wasn’t enough to keep the Panthers in the lead. With Florida short-handed, Alex Ovechkin ended any hope of a shutout with an upper-shelf wrist shot from just left of the crease at the 4:47 mark of the third period.

Alexander Semin tallied the game-winner 13:27 into the final period from a few feet behind the right faceoff circle.

In total, Florida had four penalties in the final period.

“No team can make [those penalties],” Campbell said. “Almost half the period we were short-handed and shorting up the bench.”

Similar stories

Theodore and Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun were in similar positions coming into the game. Both were playing against a former team, and both were returning from a stint on the bench. Theodore was sidelined for most of January with a sore knee, while Vokoun missed Washington’s past two games with the flu.

Vokoun has owned Florida this season, holding the Panthers scoreless in two previous starts, and he stymied his former team for most of the first period.

But with 20 seconds remaining in the opening period, Stephen Weiss hit Tomas Fleischmann in the left faceoff circle, and Fleischmann rocketed a shot upper shelf. Florida’s 1-0 lead at the first intermission was the first time it held the lead after the opening 20 minutes in seven games.

Theodore’s heroics

Only several spectacular Theodore saves kept Florida in the lead during the second period, when Washington outshot Florida 13-4.

The loss was Florida’s first defeat in regulation in which it held the lead after two periods. And it was the Panthers’ first loss in regulation after scoring the first goal since an Oct. 27 defeat in Ottawa.

Now the Panthers look ahead to the Anaheim Ducks, who visit Sunrise on Sunday as winners of five of their past seven contests.

“[Anaheim] has been playing some good hockey,” Campbell said. “We’re definitely needing a win, especially losing the last two here at home.”

• John Madden missed Friday’s game with what Dineen called a “lower body injury.” He is expected to be out for two weeks.

• Weiss suited up for the 612th time as Panther on Friday, one game shy of Radek Dvorak’s all-time mark.