Semin gets goal, 3 assists as Capitals beat Coyotes 4-2 to extend win streak to 6

Semin has a goal, 3 assists in Capitals’ 4-2 win

WASHINGTON — Alexander Semin had a goal and three assists to help the Washington Capitals beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 on Saturday night for their sixth consecutive win.

Lauri Korpikoski scored two goals for Phoenix, which was playing its first game on the road since Jan. 7.

Alexander Ovechkin had an empty-net goal with 5 seconds left for his 33rd of the season as Washington improved to 18-3-3 at home.

Semin set up the Capitals’ first score with a nice centering pass through the Coyotes defense, and his goal was set up by an even flashier pass from Tomas Fleischmann.

Fleischmann’s no-look, between-the-legs pass found Semin alone in the right circle. Semin glided for a second, controlling the puck and taking aim before firing it between goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and the right post. It was Semin’s 21st goal of the season, giving the Capitals a 3-1 lead at 17:06 in the second period.

Michal Neuvirth made 28 saves for Washington in his first start since Jan. 13, including one on a short-handed breakaway by Vernon Fiddler in the first period. Neuvirth gave up four goals and was pulled in each of his previous two starts.

Semin’s first assist came with 9 seconds left on the first power play of the game. He sent a pass from the left circle past charging defenseman Ed Jovanovski, finding Brooks Laich in front of the net. Laich’s 14th goal gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 11:37 in the first.

Phoenix tied it about two minutes later on a sequence set up by a misplay by Washington defenseman Jeff Schultz. Peter Mueller followed his own shot behind the net and passed to Robert Lang, who sent the puck in front of the net. Korpikoski then backhanded it past Neuvirth.

Korpikoski picked up his second goal of the game at 7:24 in the third period on a rebound.

Semin got his second assist on another power-play goal in the second. He found Eric Fehr on the left goal line. Fehr first tried a pass that bounced back to him off the leg of a Coyotes defenseman, but he put his second chance in the net to give Washington a 2-1 lead.

NOTES: Phoenix C Daniel Winnik missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. … Washington had two players return after missing games with injury. D John Erskine (upper-body injury) had missed the past six games, and D Mike Green (undisclosed) missed one game.