Washington Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) hits the puck and scores during the first period of an NHL hockey game agains the Ottawa Senators, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON (AP) – Hendrix Lapierre scored twice, and the Washington Capitals beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3 in a good, old-fashioned goalfest Monday night, inching closer to a playoff position.
John Carlson, Max Pacioretty, Aliaksei Protas and Beck Malenstyn each had a goal in pacing Washington to a fourth win in five games. The Capitals have picked up a point in seven of their past eight since ending a six-game losing streak.
As a result, they’re four points back of Philadelphia for third place in the Metropolitan Division, with two games in hand. The Flyers also visit Washington on Friday.
That game will have a high bar to match the entertainment level of the Senators-Capitals, which featured six goals in the first period alone and two more in the first 1:58 of the second. Lapierre’s second of the night, midway through the second on a perfectly executed 2-on-1 give-and-go with Anthony Mantha, gave him his first multi-goal game in the NHL.
Shane Pinto and Brady Tkachuk had a goal and two assists, and Drake Batherson also scored for the Senators, whose two-game winning streak ended. Pinto has five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 15 games since returning from a half-season suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.
Not coincidentally, two dozen scouts were in attendance to watch a couple of teams that could easily be sellers, unless the Capitals make up even more ground before the March 8 trade deadline. Mantha, Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson are among the pending free agents who could be on the move from Washington, as well as wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik from Ottawa.
It was far from a banner showing for goaltending on either side.
The Capitals chased Ottawa starter Anton Forsberg after one period by scoring four goals on their first 10 shots. Joonas Korpisalo didn’t fare much better, giving up two goals on his first four shots, facing 10 overall.
Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves in net for Washington, which is also chasing one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference, now six back of Tampa Bay and seven behind Detroit. The Capitals next face the Red Wings in a crucial matchup in the playoff race.
Capitals winger Sonny Milano was a late scratch because of illness. Washington was also without injured defenceman Nick Jensen, the latest addition to the walking wounded list that already included winger T.J. Oshie and defenceman Martin Fehervary (each week-to-week) and centre Nic Dowd, who is day-to-day.
UP NEXT
Senators: Visit the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
Capitals: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
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