NHL's Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals Play On and On and On

Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals make history with 20-round shootout.

ByABC News
December 17, 2014, 1:53 AM
Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in a shootout of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, in Sunrise, Fla., Dec. 16, 2014.
Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in a shootout of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, in Sunrise, Fla., Dec. 16, 2014.
Alan Diaz/AP Photo

— -- The Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals entered the NHL record books Tuesday after enduring the longest shootout – 20 rounds – in league history.

The teams were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. After neither team scored during overtime, the game entered a shootout, with each team sending a player to take a shot.

It took 40 shots and 20 rounds for the winner to be decided. Panthers center Nick Bjugstad ended the game by getting the puck past goalie Braden Holtby.

The previous shootout record was 15 rounds, when the New York Rangers beat Washington in 2005.

Tensions built as the rounds passed. The Panthers were down to their final shot in the fourth shootout round, after Washington’s Alex Ovechkin scored, but Jussi Jokinen countered with a goal of his own. Dave Bolland, Derek MacKenzie, Sean Bergenheim and Dylan Olsen also countered Capitals goals to keep the Panthers alive.

Hockey fans such as Anthony Weiner were drawn in by the shootout.

In the 20th round, it was Ovechkin’s chance again, but Florida goalie Roberto Luongo made the save, and then it was Bjugstad’s turn to end things, once and for all.

Personnel on both teams expressed amusement in the shootout, which lasted 17 minutes, 43 seconds.

"At first you're [thinking], just get the shootout victory, but once it got to 15, 16, 17; actually it was quite fun," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "You just sort of lived in the moment and hope that you got the two points. Unfortunately, we didn't."

But not everyone enjoyed the extended action.

"It definitely wasn't fun to be a part of it," Holtby said. "Being on the end that I had to make a save numerous times when the game was on the line and I didn't; that's not a fun spot to be in."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.