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Senators edge Capitals

Dec 31, 2013 - 4:14 AM Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyle Turris tallied the game-winner 3:14 into the second period, as the Ottawa Senators edged the Washington Capitals, 3-1, on Monday at Canadian Tire Centre.

Mika Zibanejad and Clarke MacArthur each scored once and Craig Anderson posted 34 saves for the Senators, who capped the month of December by winning consecutive games for the first time since taking three in a row from Nov. 5-9 earlier in the season.

"Well since we haven't done it since November we have talked about it a lot," Senators head coach Paul MacLean said of his squad winning back-to-back games. "I've thought the way we've played lately is very encouraging and tonight obviously could be a big turning point for us."

Joel Ward netted Washington's lone goal, while Philipp Grubauer gave up two goals on 37 shots for the Capitals, who have lost four of their last five games.

With the game tied 1-1 early in the second, Bobby Ryan charged down the left side and feathered a backhand pass from the red line that found the stick of Turris behind the defense in the Washington zone.

Despite being hooked by a defender, Turris was able to stuff the puck past the left pad of Grubauer for a 2-1 lead at the 3:14 mark of the middle stanza.

Anderson made the lead hold up from there, turning aside all 25 shots he faced over the final 40 minutes.

MacArthur's empty-netter inside of a minute remaining accounted for the final margin.

"We didn't make too many mistakes tonight, but they are a good skating team with a lot of talent," Washington head coach Adam Oates said of the Senators. "They were opportunistic tonight."

Ward opened the scoring 2:11 into the tilt when his no-look backhander from the slot appeared destined to sail wide of the net, but the puck caught the knob of Anderson's stick and slide across the goal line to make it 1-0.

Ottawa answered later in the first after Zibanejad came up with a steal in his own end and chipped the puck off the right boards to get around a defender and spark a 2-on-1 rush for the Sens.

Once in the Washington zone, Zibanejad dished to Cory Conacher, who hesitated slightly to get Grubauer to commit before sliding the disc to the front of the net for Zibanejad's tap-in that tied the game with 6:11 left in the first.

Game Notes

Zibanejad's goal was his first in 13 games ... Ottawa forward Chris Neil left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return ... Ottawa has won six straight against Washington, including a 6-4 road win on Nov. 27 ... Ottawa went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Washington finished 0-for-2 on the man advantage.