When the Panthers signed Scott Clemmensen on July 1, it was with the thought he would not only replace the departed Craig Anderson, but push Tomas Vokoun for playing time.

That was the idea, anyway.

Clemmensen, who signed a three-year deal with the Panthers as a free agent, struggled for the third consecutive start Saturday night, giving up five goals to Washington in the third period as the Capitals rolled to a 7-4 victory at Verizon Center.

Coach Pete DeBoer said he didn't make a mercy call to the bullpen for Clemmensen in the disastrous third period because it wouldn't have been fair to bring starter Tomas Vokoun off the bench cold.

``At that point, he's a pro, you want to give him an opportunity to battle through it,'' DeBoer said.

``To put Vokoun in there cold for the last 10 minutes, that doesn't make a lot of sense. We started Clemmensen with the thought he'd be fresh and have good legs. . . . It didn't work. That's on me. It's disheartening. The guys played their butts off.''

Counting his final three starts with New Jersey last season, Clemmensen has surrendered 29 goals in his past seven games (4.14 per game).

Last week, he gave up five goals in Dallas before beating the Stars in a shootout. On Oct. 21, he gave up two goals to the Sabres in the opening two minutes and DeBoer gave him the quickest hook in franchise history.

SHARING THE BLAME

Saturday's loss wasn't all on Clemmensen; the Capitals attacked Florida's inability to defend the front of the net, but much of the blame rests on the goalie's shoulders.

``It was Murphy's Law; everything that could go wrong did for me and that's all I can say,'' Clemmensen said. ``It looked like a fire drill out there. Guys were scrambling, pucks were bouncing off skates, pants and everything else. It was total chaos from my perspective.''

Before the third period meltdown, the Panthers looked much better than the bunch that got outplayed by these Capitals Friday night in Sunrise.

The Panthers trailed 1-0 and 2-1, but got goals from Michael Frolik and 19-year-old rookie Dmitry Kulikov to even things up. With 3:57 left in the second, Michal Repik got his first goal of the season to give the Panthers their first lead on the Capitals this season.

It just didn't last. Just over two minutes in, Kulikov failed to get the puck out from behind the net and Mathieu Perreault scored. Just 40 seconds later, Quintin Laing got in front of Bryan McCabe and beat Clemmensen in front of the net.

Florida answered when Cory Stillman redirected a Kulikov shot to tie it at 4, but the floodgates opened as the Capitals scored the next three -- two coming from Tomas Fleischmann.

``We had a 3-2 lead going into the third and that's a good spot,'' McCabe said. ``We have to find a way to hold on. I thought we battled really hard [Saturday night], but they threw everything at the net and got sticks on it. They tipped everything in.''

SCARY MOMENT

Center Gregory Campbell had a scary moment in the second when he took a blistering slapshot from Brian Pothier to the face. Campbell hit the ice, blood streaming from a deep cut.

Campbell spent the rest of the game being looked after -- and stitched up -- by local medical staff.

Campbell looked bruised and dazed after the game but traveled home where he will be evaluated.

• Ville Koistinen, signed by the Panthers as a defenseman to a two-year, $2.4 million contract, has been on the fourth forward line throughout the season and skated on just two shifts Saturday for a total of two minutes and four seconds.

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