BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Alexander Ovechkin scored twice, including
his NHL-leading 54th goal, in the Washington Capitals' 3-1 victory
over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night in a key Eastern
Conference playoff-race matchup.
Niklas Backstrom, who entered the game as the NHL's rookie
scoring leader, had a goal and an assist while Olie Kolzig made 25
saves for his 299th career victory. Washington jumped into 10th
place in the East standings, a point behind Buffalo and two back of
Philadelphia, which holds the final playoff berth.
Ovechkin, coming off a three-goal, two-assist outing in a 10-2
win over Boston on Monday, surpassed his career-high of 52 goals,
and registered his 10th multigoal game this season.
The Capitals, improving to 16-8-3 since sitting 14th in the East
at the midpoint of their season, also stayed within three points of
Southwest Division-leading Carolina after the Hurricanes beat
Atlanta 6-3 earlier in the night.
Ales Kotalik scored the lone goal for the suddenly slumping
Sabres, who dropped to 2-4-1 in their past seven, and have two wins
in their past eight home games (2-5-1). Buffalo, coming off a 5-2
win at Philadelphia on Tuesday, squandered a chance to take over
eighth place.
Credit Ovechkin, who had a hand - but no assist - in setting up
Backstrom's goal, scored 13:27 into the second period, 50 seconds
after Kotalik tied it at 1.
Ovechkin started the play by checking Steve Bernier off the puck
at the Sabres blue line, creating a break the other way. Viktor
Kozlov then hit a wide-open Backstrom, who slipped a shot through
Ryan Miller's legs, as the crowd booed, believing Ovechkin should
have been penalized for hooking Bernier.
Ovechkin, who opened the scoring on a breakaway in the first
period, then sealed the victory, putting the Capitals up 3-1 with
6:41 left, when his snap shot from the left circle hit Miller's
pad, but had enough power to trickle in.
The 54 goals are two more than Ovechkin scored as a rookie two
years ago moved him into second on the Capitals' single-season
list, one more than Bob Carpenter. Dennis Maruk holds the record
with 60 scored in 1981-82.
Ovechkin has six goals and four assists in his past four games,
and inched closer to becoming the first to reach 60 goals since
Mario Lemieux scored 69 and Jaromir Jagr 62 in 1995-96.
Notes: Kolzig got the start after Cristobal Huet was still
experiencing back spasms sustained during a 10-2 win over Boston on
Monday. Huet is listed as day to day, and did take part in the
team's morning skate. ... Sabres D Henrik Tallinder didn't play
after hurting his shoulder and neck in the first period of
Buffalo's 5-2 win at Philadelphia on Tuesday. Dmitri Kalinin
replaced Tallinder after being a healthy scratch against the
Flyers. ... The Capitals improved to 15-14-5 on the road, the first
time they've won 15 road games since going 15-16-6-4 in 2002-03.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)