Olie the Goalie stops 47 for Caps

WASHINGTON (AP) -- If these are indeed Olaf Kolzig's last days with the Washington Capitals, then he's certainly going out with a flourish.

Kolzig followed his 38-save shutout performance two days before with 47 stops Tuesday against one of the league's top teams. Only Marian Hossa's late power-play goal denied Kolzig another clean slate in a 1-1 tie with the Ottawa Senators.

"It's likely the best game he's played, from the amount of shots and the quality of shots and how he handled the shots," Washington coach Glen Hanlon said.

"It's likely a game he can take and hopefully parks in his memory bank and keeps it with him for when he retires, because those are the games you look back on when you're sitting at 47 years old, trying to remember what it was like."

Kolzig has been the subject of persistent trade speculation as the money-losing, cellar-dwelling Capitals look to trim payroll. The rumors bothered him at first, but he regained his focus and has allowed just two goals in three starts since the All-Star break.

"That stretch of three games is, I think, above and beyond the call of duty," Hanlon said.

Added Kolzig: "It's a good stretch. I'm seeing the puck really well. The way this season has gone, I have underachieved, and this was a nice win."

The game also marked the return of Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who watched from the owner's box for the first time since his one-week NHL suspension for a scuffle with a taunting fan. This was Washington's first home game since the suspension ended Feb. 4.

Sergei Gonchar scored his first goal for the Capitals since returning from a shoulder injury. The Senators had their four-game winning streak snapped, but they remain unbeaten in five games since the All-Star break.

"Kolzig was pretty good," Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said, "and we didn't capitalize on our chances."

Hossa scored his 26th goal of the season with 4:23 remaining. He put a short backhand under Kolzig's left leg after the puck caromed in front of a crowded crease. The goal came 45 seconds after Gonchar was sent to the penalty box for hooking.

Until then, everything was going right for Gonchar. Playing his third game since missing seven with a separated left shoulder, he scored a classic Gonchar goal in the second period: a slap shot from just inside the blue line on a power play. It came on a four-on-three advantage, and the shot beat goaltender Martin Prusek just inside the right post.

Despite his injury, Gonchar is tops among NHL defensemen with 45 points, including six goals.

Robert Lang assisted on Gonchar's goal, tying him with Vancouver's Markus Naslund for the NHL's overall scoring lead with 68 points.

Prusek, giving Patrick Lalime a rest one night after the Senators played the New York Rangers, made 18 saves for Ottawa.

Game notes
Ottawa center Todd White injured his right foot in the second period and did not return. He will be re-examined Wednesday. ... The Capitals recalled goaltender Maxime Ouellet from Portland of the AHL. Ouellet was sent down Monday so he could get a quick dose of game experience. He made 20 saves in a 2-0 victory over Lowell on Monday night. ... Leonsis also was fined $100,000 for the incident with the fan, which occurred in the concourse after a loss to Philadelphia on Jan. 25. Leonsis later apologized and has invited the fan to attend a future game as the owner's guest. ... The Capitals failed to win for the first time this season when leading after two periods. They had been 17-0 when ahead going into the third. ... The Capitals didn't take a shot until 7:12 elapsed in the game. They were outshot (48-19) for the 11th straight game -- a streak that began when Jaromir Jagr was traded to the Rangers.