AP News, January 16th, 2008
Alex Ovechkin scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Washington Capitals completed a season sweep of the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 victory Tuesday night.
Ovechkin collected Brooks Laich's long rebound between the circles and pushed in a knuckling shot that glanced off the right leg pad of Ottawa's Ray Emery at 9:11.
Washington used Ovechkin's team-leading 34th to seal its fourth win this season against the Senators, whose 62 points are second-most in the NHL. The Capitals hadn't swept Ottawa since 1995-96.
Alexander Semin scored twice, and Mike Green also tallied for the Capitals. Dean McAmmond and Wade Redden had goals for Ottawa.
Both teams played without key offensive personnel out with shoulder injuries.
Ottawa forward Dany Heatley, the team's second-leading scorer with 25 goals and 31 assists, sat out his second game and will miss up to six weeks with a separated right shoulder. Washington center Michael Nylander, whose 37 points are second-most on the Capitals, will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair a torn left rotator cuff.
Washington, which outscored Ottawa 18-10 in its previous three victories, took a 1-0 lead on Green's 13th goal 47 seconds into the second period. Green, dashing through the right circle, converted Viktor Kozlov's tricky pass out of the left corner and through the crease.
McAmmond and Redden struck 1:22 apart in the second to put Ottawa up 2-1. From between the circles, McAmmond ricocheted a shot off the stick of defenseman John Erskine at 13:41.
Redden whacked Patrick Eaves' rebound past Brent Johnson at 15:03.
Semin tied it again 23 seconds later, intercepting a pass, driving down the right wing and lifting a shot over Emery.
After Ovechkin put Washington ahead, Semin gave the Capitals a two-goal advantage, poking home a loose puck at 11:56.
Notes:@ Ottawa RW Daniel Alfredsson picked up an assist on McAmmond's goal and has points in 11 straight games. ... Johnson was shaken up in a collision with Ottawa's Chris Neil in front of the Washington goal 38 seconds in. Johnson remained in the game after being treated by trainers. ... C Ilya Zubov, called up to replace Heatley on the roster, made his NHL debut.
