VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Peter Bondra had two goals and an assist and Todd Krygier scored a key insurance goal late in the third period as the Washington Capitals completed a five-game road trip with a 5-2 victory over the struggling.
Eric Charron and Dale Hunter also scored for Washington, which went 2-2-1 on the trip and improved to 4-0-1 in its last five meetings with Vancouver. The Capitals scored more than three goals for the first time in 11 games.
Olaf Kolzig turned aside 27 shots, including all 15 in the third period, for his first victory since January 9.
Alexander Mogilny had both goals for the Canucks, who have lost five of their last six games. Vancouver has allowed 25 goals in its last five games.
"It's a tough loss, we come off the road and we're very disappointed because we didn't play as a team," Mogilny said. "We scored the first goal and then they get three in a row, I thought everybody tried but not as a unit."
Washington, which played without seven regulars due to injuries, was forced to use defenseman Phil Housley as the left wing on Bondra's line.
"I enjoyed the game, good people to play with," Housley said. "Guys that can see the ice makes your job a lot easier. Just get the puck on Peter's stick and he makes things happen."
Bondra's first goal of the game and team-leading 33rd of the season 6:46 into the game sanpped a 1-1 tie and gave Washington the lead for good. Bondra intercepted Dana Murzyn's pass and skated in on a breakaway before beating goaltender Kirk McLean with a waist-high wrist shot to the stick side.
Hunter's ninth goal, a power-play tally, with 3:28 remaining in the opening period made it 3-1. Capitals center Michal Pivonka tripped McLean behind the goal and the puck went through a maze of players in front to a wide-open Hunter, who scored into a vacated net.
Mogilny poked in a rebound of Markus Naslund's individual effort 1:58 into the second period for his second goal of the game and 23rd of the season, drawing Vancouver within 3-2.
Capitals defenseman Joe Reekie took a holding penalty at 10:16 of the third period and was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty, giving Vancouver a four-minute power play.
"That was the key ... it was disappointing to get that double minor, but you just have to keep your head up," Bondra said. "We were one goal up and that was a huge kill. Special teams tonight were great, we scored on the power play and we killed off seven of theirs."
Vancouver center Mike Ridley assisted on the goal for his 750th career point. Ridley has three goals and five assists during a five-game point-scoring streak.
Krygier restored Washington's two-goal cushion with 4:20 left when he capped a 2-on-1 break with Jason Allison for his fifth goal. Bondra's second tally of the game, 59 seconds later, closed the scoring.
Jon's 3 stars:
1. Peter Bondra
2. Joe Reekie
3. Eric Charron
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