Music: {allcanada} Holtby, Capitals stay hot with win against Senators

Monday, December 22, 2014

{allcanada} Holtby, Capitals stay hot with win against Senators

A Very Special Christmas 25th Anniversary - Various Artists

WASHINGTON -- Forwards Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom scored for the Washington Capitals, and Braden Holtby made 38 saves in a 2-1 victory against the Ottawa Senators at Verizon Center on Monday.

It was the Capitals' first win against the Senators since Dec. 7, 2011. Washington had lost the previous seven games.

Forward Erik Condra scored for Ottawa. Craig Anderson made 21 saves.

Each team's power-play units received plenty of work in the first period with Ottawa and Washington combining for 8:54 of total time on the man advantage.

The Senators were more productive with eight shots on goal, but Holtby scrambled around the crease to stop them all. Holtby stretched to his left to snare Clarke MacArthur's one-timer with his glove, set up by a pass from Erik Karlsson parallel to the goal line at 4:32. Officials reviewed the play to see if the puck crossed the goal line when it entered Holtby's glove, and the original ruling was upheld.

On Ottawa's second power play, Holtby kicked out a Kyle Turris rebound attempt.

Despite having a two-man advantage for 1:06 late in the period, Washington never threatened to score on Anderson, who faced two shots on the power play.

The game remained scoreless 13:59 into the second period when the Capitals and Senators combined for three goals. Beagle gave Washington a 1-0 lead, outracing defenseman Jared Cowen to receive center Evgeny Kuznetsov's long-range breakout pass. Beagle was able to sneak a shot past Anderson for his career-high fifth goal.

Condra tied the game less than two minutes later at 15:56 when he pick-pocketed defenseman Mike Green who attempted to leave the defensive zone, charging toward Holtby and beating him with a wrist shot.

With 35 seconds remaining in second period, Backstrom scored from near the right half-wall. It was his sixth goal in his past five games.

The Senators are off until Saturday when they host the Detroit Red Wings. The Capitals, whose next home game is the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1, will play the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas - Vonda Shepard