Michalek helps red-hot Senators hand Capitals third straight loss
Ottawa side seventh after 5-2 win as Washington out of play-off spots in 10th
New York: The Ottawa Senators cruised to their fourth win in a row with a 5-2 victory over the slumping Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Milan Michalek scored twice to help Ottawa jump out to a 4-0 lead in the second period and the Senators breezed to a win that helped tighten their grip on seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Senators have won each of their last four games by at least three goals. Goaltender Craig Anderson finished with 33 saves for Ottawa (33-22-8), who lead eighth-placed Toronto by seven points.
Washington (29-26-5) remain out of the play-off picture in 10th after their third consecutive defeat.
John Carlson and Mathieu Perreault scored back-to-back goals to pull the Capitals within 4-2 midway through the third period, but Ottawa's Nick Foligno ended their hopes with a score in the final two minutes.
"We got behind real quick on a couple of miscues in the d-zone and we just dug too big of a hole," said Washington forward Brooks Laich.
The Capitals played again without Alex Ovechkin, who was missing because of a lower-body injury, but even with the Russian in their starting line-up Washington have struggled of late.
