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Kozlov helps Capitals extend winning streak

Dec 19, 2008 - 5:17 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The Washington Capitals continued their winning ways thanks to a scorer not named Alex.

Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin have starred all season long but Viktor Kozlov shined the brightest in this one, scoring two goals and notching an assist as the Capitals extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

Tomas Fleischmann scored, Ovechkin netted his team-leading 20th goal of the season and rookie Simeon Varlamov turned aside 29 shots to notch his second career NHL win in as many games for Washington, which improved to 14-1-1 at home.

Since losing back-to-back games from November 29-December 2, the Capitals are 7-1-0 while outscoring their opponents, 27-15.

"It's still before Christmas," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I think we can play a lot better and shut them down a little bit better."

David Backes scored his ninth goal of the season and David Winchester added a power-play tally, but the Blues fell for the fifth straight contest.

Kozlov snapped a 1-1 tie with 2:54 left in the second, converting passes from Boyd Gordon and Tom Poti while sitting on the doorstep. Fleischmann gave Washington a two-goal advantage just 40 seconds later with a wrist shot from the slot.

"We scored two goals right away. That put them back," Kozlov said. "If not, who knows?

Boudreau is pleased that he's received scoring from a player other than Ovechkin and Semin.

"He's the unsung Russian," Boudreau said of Kozlov, who has seven goals this season. "He just goes out and does his business."

Kozlov usually lets Ovechkin do the talking. This time, he was the star.

"They didn't score. We scored. That was the turning point of the game," Kozlov said.

St. Louis coach Andy Murray wasn't pleased with the results.

"We know they're a good and dangerous team," Murray said. "I didn't like some of the things they did to allow them to get scoring chances."

Ovechkin increased the Capitals' lead to 4-1 by firing a slap shot from above the right faceoff circle with the man advantage just 13 seconds into the third.

Winchester recorded his third goal of the season by lifting a wrister over Varlamov's shoulder in front of the net midway through the session.

The 20-year-old Varlamov had a thrill when he won the game in front of his father.

"It's great that his dream was realized because it was his dream to see me play in the NHL. It was my dream as well," Varlamov said through an interpreter. "He's probably right now the happiest man in the world, and so am I."

Kozlov opened the scoring with 3:14 left in the first period, and Backes evened the score midway through the second.

Ben Bishop made 25 saves for the Blues, who also dropped their fifth consecutive game on the road.