-----------------------------
Washington 0 4 1--5
Ottawa 1 0 0--1
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Ottawa, Alfredsson 8 (Yashin, Mceachern),
2:10. Penalties: V Prospal, Ott (cross checking), 2:48; Hnidy, Ott
(slashing), 9:16.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Washington, Bondra 15 (power play) (Oates,
Gonchar), 7:47. 3, Washington, Bondra 16 (Zednik, Nikolishin), 9:19. 4,
Washington, Khristich 6 (Simon, Oates), 11:06. 5, Washington, Bondra 17
(power play) (Gonchar, Oates), 16:51. Penalties: Rivers, Ott (roughing),
6:42; Roy, Ott (roughing), 6:42; Witt, Was (roughing), 6:42; Hnidy, Ott
(slashing), 15:53; Bondra, Was (slashing), 18:39.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Washington, Bondra 18 (Nikolishin, Zednik),
5:30.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Washington 11 10 12--33
Ottawa 9 15 8--32
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Was - 2 of 4, Ott - 0 of 1. Goalies:
Washington, Kolzig (32 shots, 31 saves; record: 16-10-5). Ottawa, Lalime
(21, 17; record: 13-7-2), Hurme (start of 3rd, 12, 11). A:17,469.
Referees: Dumas, Fraser. Linesmen: Amell, Gauthier.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Washington Ottawa
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Bondra 4 0 +2 5 Alfredsson 1 0 even 3
C Johansson 0 0 +1 1 Bonk 0 0 -1 4
Dahlen 0 0 even 4 Dackell 0 0 -1 0
Gonchar 0 2 +1 0 Fisher 0 0 -1 2
Halpern 0 0 even 1 Forbes 0 0 even 0
Herr 0 0 even 3 Havlat 0 0 even 2
Khristich 1 0 even 2 Hnidy 0 0 +1 1
Klee 0 0 even 1 Hossa 0 0 -1 1
Konowalchuk 0 0 even 3 Mceachern 0 1 even 3
Mironov 0 0 even 1 Phillips 0 0 even 0
Nikolishin 0 2 +2 3 Rachunek 0 0 -1 2
Oates 0 3 even 0 Redden 0 0 -2 4
Reekie 0 0 +1 0 Rivers 0 0 even 1
Sacco 0 0 even 3 Roy 0 0 even 0
Simon 0 1 even 2 V Prospal 0 0 -1 3
Whitfield 0 0 even 0 Yashin 0 1 even 2
Witt 0 0 +1 0 York 0 0 -2 3
Zednik 0 2 +2 4 Zamuner 0 0 -1 1
Bulis Thumb Injury Arvedson Foot Injury
Cote Healthy Persson Ankle Injury
Black Healthy Salo Shoulder
Berube Healthy Schastlivy Healthy
Emmons Healthy
Game Story
KANATA, Ontario (Ticker) -- Peter Bondra got off to a good start
in a bid to become the third straight member of the Washington
Capitals to earn NHL Player of the Week honors.
Bondra scored four goals, including three in the second period,
lifting the red-hot Capitals to a 5-1 victory over the Ottawa
Senators.
Earlier today, Adam Oates was named Player of the Week,
following Washington goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who garnered the
award last week.
It was Bondra's first hat trick of the season and fifth career
four-goal game. He had five against Tampa Bay on February 5,
1994.
"It was tight the first five shifts, but we got back into the
game and beat one of the best teams in the league," Bondra said.
"We played well as a team tonight because we created chances by
playing simple hockey."
Washington was blanked in the first period but erupted for four
goals in the second. Bondra sparked the Capitals by scoring
twice in a 32-second span midway through the period. He tied it
at 8:47 with the first of his two power-play goals, then stayed
on the ice and scored an unassisted marker to put Washington in
front.
Dmitri Khristich scored with 8:54 left in the period, giving
Washington three goals in a 2:19 stretch. Bondra recorded
another power-play goal with 3:09 remaining and completed his
four-goal night 5 1/2 minutes into the third.
The Capitals improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine games and have
won four straight on the road.
"The last month and a half, we have been very confident and we
have played better defensively as a team," Washington left wing
Steve Konawalchuk said. "We have four lines going and with Oates
and Bondra producing, it helps a lot."
Kolzig made 31 saves and shut out Ottawa after giving up a goal
to Daniel Alfredsson just 2:10 into the contest.
"Olie was the engine and we took the ride," Bondra said.
"Kolzig was really sharp," added Ottawa coach Jacques Martin.
"He was called upon early and he managed to shut the door."
Alfredsson, who had both Senators' goals in Saturday's 3-2 loss
to Chicago, gave gave Ottawa an early lead tonight when he
skated around the net and snapped a wrist shot from the top of
the left faceoff circle past Kolzig's stick side.
But Bondra took matters into his own hands in the second period,
accepting a pass from Oates and ripping a slap shot past
goaltender Patrick Lalime to it.
Bondra was a little lucky on his second goal as his pass
deflected in off the skate of Ottawa defenseman Karel Rachunek.
Washington made it 3-1 when Chris Simon poked a loose puck in
the slot to Khristich for an easy tap-in at an wide-open net.
"We were lacking a righthanded (shooting) guy on the power play
and now we have Khristich," Konawalchuk said. "He's helped us
in the past and he's doing it again now."
Oates set up Washington's fourth goal by outworking defenseman
Jason York in the left corner. After Oates passed back to
Sergei Gonchar at the blue line, Bondra took a cross-ice feed
and blasted a one-timer past Lalime.
Bondra registered his fourth goal when he beat Lalime to the
glove side from close range.
"We had a strong first period, but in the second, we got into
penalty trouble and they capitalized twice," Martin said.
Lalime turned aside 17 shots for the Senators before being
pulled after the second period. Jani Hurme played the third for
Ottawa, which is winless in its last four games (0-2-2).
"When you don't win, there is a problem somewhere," Lalime said.
"We'll have to battle back harder next game."
Senators right wing Marian Hossa was hit on the left big toe by
a shot in the second period and will be re-evaluated Thursday.
"Mentally, we weren't sharp," Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips
said. "We weren't working hard enough and they won all the
little battles. You can't expect to win against a team like
that."