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Clark helps Capitals win fourth straight

Dec 7, 2006 - 2:54 AM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Chris Clark and the Washington Capitals continue to pile up the points during the team's longest winning streak of the season.

Clark scored twice and Alexander Ovechkin and Dainius Zubrus set career highs with three assists apiece as the Capitals posted their fourth straight win, a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Matt Bradley scored the game's initial goal and Brooks Laich tallied for the first time this season for Washington, which has scored 22 goals during its run.

"We have more skill and talent than last season, and it's beginning to click," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "Ovy (Ovechkin), Zuby (Zubrus), Clark, Olie (Olaf Kolzig) and all the guys are playing well together as a team."

"It doesn't matter how we played last night, two days ago, I have a great team and we played well tonight," Ovechkin said. "Sometimes we play well and do not win. But right now, we're playing well and we're winning."

Clark's first tally with just under four minutes left in the first period gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead. After Mike Fisher cut Ottawa's deficit to 2-1 with a power-play goal eight minutes into the second, Clark scored again with just over six minutes left in the session to restore Washington's two-goal bulge.

"We are enjoying the competition, and a four-game winning streak is nice, but as a team, we are still a work in progress," Hanlon said.

The Capitals' captain, Clark has four tallies in his last four games.

"It would have been nice to get the hat trick, but two goals and two points is a fantastic feeling and an important win for us as a group," Clark said.

Alexander Semin and Matt Pettinger netted goals in the third period to put the game out of reach for the Capitals, who snapped the Senators' four-game winning streak.

Kolzig stopped 35 shots for Washington, while Ray Emery made 31 saves for Ottawa.

"Olie came through with a great performance in goal, as he usually does," Clark said. "We capitalized on their mistakes tonight. This was a great victory."

Jason Spezza scored his third goal in as many games five minutes into the final period for the Senators, who had won seven of their previous 10 meetings with the Capitals.

The game was a penalty-filled affair, with each team committing 11 infractions. Ottawa went 1-for-8 on the power play, while Washington was 2-for-7 with the man advantage.

"Well, tonight's game was very frustrating," Senators coach Bryan Murray said. "Washington played well early on, then we played well in the second period, and then it became a game of penalties. They (the Capitals) played a very active game tonight. Some of our guys just didn't play well tonight."