Washington (3) @ Ottawa (2)
March 28, 2003
Box score

OTTAWA (Ticker) -- The Washington Capitals did not give up on their six-game Canadian road trip or their dreams of a division title.

Olaf Kolzig made 30 saves and Peter Bondra and Trent Whitfield each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals moved closer to reclaiming first place in the Southeast Division with a 3-2 victory over the NHL-leading Ottawa Senators.

Kolzig was at his best in the third period, turning aside 10 shots while the Senators were looking for the game-tying goal.

Washington improved to 3-2-0 on its journey and pulled within two points of idle Tampa Bay for first place in the Southeast.

"It's good to have a game like this to bring the squad together, especially now, because we'd like third place (in the Eastern Conference), but it's pretty much in Tampa's hands," Kolzig said. "Winning against a good team bodes well for us going into the playoffs."

Bondra opened the scoring at 2:16 of the first period with his 27th goal. Dainius Zubrus carried the puck out of his own zone, through center ice and into Ottawa territory before making a backhanded pass from the right faceoff circle that Bondra redirected into the left side of the net.

"So far the trip has gone well," Bondra said. "We don't try to open it up too much, so we're in each game. We'll play team hockey to the end because we'd like to get home advantage by winning the division."

Martin Havlat knotted the game 6:56 into the first when he came out of the corner and stuffed the puck between Kolzig and the right goalpost.

Sergei Berezin put the Capitals ahead, 2-1, at 3:04 of the second with his 23rd goal. Acquired at the trade deadline, he has five goals and three assists since March 14.

"It was three times with the same thing - a pass across and a guy was there to put his stick on it," Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime said. "There were a few mistakes here and there that cost us tonight. There are four games left and we have to make sure we get right back at it tomorrow (in Montreal). We have to play with some intensity and let the talent take over."

Bondra set up Whitfield's first goal of the season, which gave the Capitals a 3-1 lead with 3:16 left in the second. Coming down on a 2-on-1, Bondra got to the left circle, faked a slap shot to force Lalime to his knees and passed to Whitfield in the crease.

Recalled from Portland of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, Whitfield beat Lalime with a backhander high to the glove side for his first goal since March 11, 2001, also against Ottawa.

"I was surprised to be selected first star (of the game)," the 25-year-old center said. "I try to work hard every game. Fortunately, the puck bounced my way."

Bondra could have increased Washington's lead late in the second, but he hit the goalpost off a 3-on-1 break.

Radek Bonk got the puck to start the counterattack and found Havlat for a breakaway. The 21-year-old Czech slipped the puck between Kolzig's pads with 35 seconds left in the period for his second goal of the game and 23rd of the season - a career high.

"The momentum definitely changed when I hit the post and Havlat came back to score," said Bondra, who has 24 goals and 15 assists in 35 career games against Ottawa. "Maybe next time my shot will go in, but we got the momentum back when they took a penalty to start the third."

"We can't be letting in goals in the last 30 or 40 seconds of a period," Kolzig added. "It didn't cost us tonight like it did in Edmonton (on March 22nd). Both goals were on breakdowns, but our `D' did a pretty good job of not allowing them to create traffic in front of me."

Vaclav Varada collected two assists, including the 100th of his career, and Lalime stopped 15 shots for Ottawa, which had a four-game unbeaten streak stopped and failed to post its franchise record-setting 49th victory.

"I didn't think the team did a good job as a whole," Havlat said. "Our line played pretty well with Radek and Vaclav. Our goalie was good, but they had a lot of odd-man rushes. We just played against them in the third and it's hard to win a game that way. We did some bad changes and they scored from this, that's why we lost."

Caps put end to Sens' unbeaten streak

March 28, 2003 Print it

RECAP | BOX SCORE | SCOREBOARD

OTTAWA -- Peter Bondra and the Washington Capitals are peaking just in time for the final stop of their Canadian road trip.

Bondra and Trent Whitfield each had a goal and an assist in Washington's 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. Sergei Berezin scored for the second straight game and Olaf Kolzig made 30 saves for the Capitals, who won their second straight.

Washington improved to 3-2-0 on its six-game, cross-Canada road trip, which concludes in Toronto on Saturday.

"It's been a pretty long trip," Bondra said. "Overall, I think we've played well and that's what we need -- to play team hockey like we did tonight and play our system."

The Capitals, sixth overall in the Eastern Conference with 87 points, moved to within two points of Southeast Division-leading Tampa Bay.

"Some teams might have the luxury to take a break or rest some bodies, but we'll play to the end," Bondra said. "It's definitely a big difference when you win the division and get home-ice advantage."

Martin Havlat scored twice for Ottawa, which ended a four-game unbeaten streak as it failed in its second attempt for a franchise-record 49th win.

"It's nice to score two goals, but it's not that nice to see your team lose," Havlat said. "I think we didn't play hard enough for 60 minutes. We just played well in the third and you can't win a game like that."

The Senators, who have four games remaining, still lead the NHL with 105 points.

Bondra opened the scoring with his 27th goal early in the first period and set up Whitfield's first NHL goal in over two years 16:44 into the second to put Washington up 3-1.

"I just wanted to come out and work hard, and fortunately the puck bounced my way tonight," Whitfield said.

Bondra had a chance to increase the Capitals' lead to three late in the period but his shot on a three-on-one opportunity struck the post behind goalie Patrick Lalime.

Ottawa took advantage of the missed scoring chance as Radek Bonk set up Havlat with a breakaway pass. Havlat, who scored his 22nd to tie it 6:56 into the first, got his second of the game -- his 23rd -- with 35 seconds left in the second to draw the Senators within one.

"The momentum definitely changed, but they took a penalty at the end of the period and we got some momentum to start the third with a power play," Bondra said.

Ottawa successfully killed Zdeno Chara's roughing penalty to begin the third but failed to get the tying goal despite outshooting Washington 10-4 in the period. The Capitals were outshot 32-18 overall.

"The third period was our best, but we just didn't score," Havlat said. "(Kolzig) played pretty good the whole game, but our performance wasn't that great -- not like we wanted to play."

Charged up for Bolts


By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Ottawa Sun

While the Senators battle for survival off the ice, there could be a pretty good war at the Corel Centre tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Other than being expansion cousins, these two Eastern Conference clubs haven't had much of a rivalry in the past, but there's a good one brewing with plenty of subplots heading into their final meeting of the season barring a playoff matchup.

Senators winger Chris Neil wasn't going to get into trash talk following a 45-minute workout yesterday, but he's still not happy about Lightning winger Vaclav Prospal's actions during a 6-2 loss on Jan. 20 in Tampa.

CROSS-CHECKED

Late in the game, a charged-up Prospal levelled Neil with a cross-check to the head. Not only did it land Prospal a five-minute major and a game misconduct, the former Senators winger was also given a two-game suspension by the NHL.

"I have a long memory," Neil said the next day.

Well, he didn't have to be reminded yesterday, although he was cautious with his answers about Prospal because NHL VP Colin Campbell levies huge fines for premeditated threats.

"I don't think that you can go out looking for anything because that can take you off your game," said Neil. "The most important thing for us right now is to win the game.

"If something happens in the game, you have to be prepared to take care of yourself. He's the type of player who plays hard and he's emotional. That's just the kind of guy he is. I just don't like that kind of stuff."

What made the incident worse was the fact that Neil was recovering from a broken jaw at the time and was wearing a full visor.

"He had skated by our bench after scoring a goal and he was pretty much celebrating right in front of us by yelling and screaming," said Neil, who is coming off a strong performance in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win against Dallas. "I remember that kind of thing.

"I know he's going to be out there, but I'm not going to go out looking for him. Who knows what's going to happen? Things can happen if you get up by a goal or down by a couple of goals. What we have to worry about is the two points."

And there's potential for more ugliness.

"Aren't you guys going to go talk to Martin Havlat?" one player asked reporters. "This is the first time he's faced Tampa since those things were said about him."

Of course, I just heading to see Marty.

Following the Jan. 20 victory, Lightning tough guy Andre Roy told reporters in Montreal the next day it was nice to beat the Senators and "take care of their little stars" -- especially Havlat, who will return tonight after missing four games with a groin injury.

Roy claimed the Bolts were upset with the way Havlat was celebrating his two-goal performance by blowing kisses to the crowd in a 7-0 Ottawa win on Jan. 14 at the Corel Centre. Havlat laughed at the comments.

LAUGHS IT OFF

"He can say whatever he wants," Havlat said yesterday. "I don't care what they say. It doesn't matter. I just have to make sure I'm ready for the game. My groin is feeling pretty good. I'm ready to play again. That's good news."

If that's not enough, newly acquired winger Vaclav Varada might have an axe of his own to grind with the Bolts. He got into a tussle with Tampa goalie John Grahame during a stick-swinging incident last Sunday in Buffalo.

"We were in the corner and he swung his stick at me. I thought about it for a minute and decided I wasn't going to take that stuff. I went after him. That's what happened," said Varada. "Of course, you remember that stuff. You remember every dirty hit, every goal and every assist. You remember everything that happens in a game. You put that in the back of your mind in case something happens later on."