Semin shoots down Canes

The Capitals take over sole possession of first place in the Southeast by embarrassing the Hurricanes at home

RALEIGH -- About seven minutes were left in the game, and the Carolina Hurricanes killing off a penalty, when Brandon Sutter abruptly knocked Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals to the ice.

"He was cutting across the middle and they like to do that a lot and it was about time we hit him, I'd say," said the Canes' Sutter.

For Carolina, it came much, much too late. Semin already had flattened the Canes by then, dancing and prancing and producing two goals and three assists Wednesday in the Caps' 5-1 victory at the RBC Center.

Alexander Ovechkin added a goal and two assists and Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and three assists as the Caps (9-4-2) moved two points ahead of the second-place Canes (8-6-2) in the NHL's Southeast Division. For the night, the line had four goals and 12 points and all but toyed with the Hurricanes at times.

"I think all three of them were on the top of their games," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said.

As for the Canes, they have lost the past two games -- both at home -- and three of the past four.

"I don't know if we're playing on our heels or what, but we're just throwing on our gear and going out there," said forward Scott Walker, who scored Carolina's goal. "It's the little games within the game. It's the little battles -- getting beat up the ice, getting beat down the ice.

"It's those little things, and we're only kidding ourselves if we think we're getting the job done. ... It's unacceptable."

Last week, the Caps had to rally in the final three minutes to top the Hurricanes at the Verizon Center. Semin scored twice, including the winner with 10.9 seconds left, in a 3-2 victory.

The Hurricanes had a new look for Wednesday's game, with Sutter, Matt Cullen and Joni Pitkanen returning from injuries and Michael Leighton starting in goal. But there was no stopping Semin, who had a goal and two assists in the opening period as Washington breezed to a 3-1 lead.

Semin, the NHL scoring leader, now has scored goals against the Canes in six straight games and has 17 career goals in 21 games.

"We weren't hard enough on those guys. We just let them dance around," Sutter said. "We've got to start hitting 'em and banging 'em right from the get-go. If you don't get after 'em it's going to be a long night."

A long night it was for the Hurricanes, who were battered 5-2 by the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday at the RBC Center.

After Ovechkin and Semin scored for a 2-0 lead in the first, Walker banged in a power-play goal for the Canes. But defenseman Mike Green matched Walker's power-play score with one of his own for the Caps.

The Canes had 1:18 of a two-man advantage late in the first. But Eric Staal, pointless in his last five games, twice misfired with an open net and Carolina couldn't convert as an antsy home crowd began to boo in frustration.

Caps goalie Brent Johnson also made a hustling save on a Ryan Bayda shot in the final minute of the period. Johnson was injured on the play and replaced in the second period by Jose Theodore.

Theodore has had some rough moments against the Canes in the past. But he stopped Staal on a shot early in the second, looked sharp and closed with 13 saves.

"It's not a matter of systems or any design out there," Walker said. "You have to want the puck more than they do, you have to want to get back before they get back, you have to want to get on the forecheck.

"We're just not getting it done. It's not one guy; it's everybody. We're all a step behind. We have to take a pretty long look in the mirror at ourselves."

GAME SUMMARY

Washington311 -- 5

Carolina100 -- 1

First: 1, Washington, Ovechkin 4 (Semin), 5:11. 2, Washington, Semin 12 (Green, Backstrom), 10:32. 3, Carolina, Walker 2 (Pitkanen, Brind'Amour), 11:51 (pp). 4, Washington, Green 6 (Semin, Backstrom), 14:25 (pp). Penalties--Jurcina, Was (holding), 7:00; Jurcina, Was (delay of game), 11:46; Bayda, Car (hooking), 13:01; B.Gordon, Was (slashing), 16:02; Semin, Was (hooking), 16:44.

Second: 5, Washington, Semin 13 (Ovechkin, Backstrom), 10:04. Penalties--Walker, Car (holding), 1:56; Semin, Was (hooking), 7:38; Jurcina, Was (roughing), 11:41; Wallin, Car (hooking), 16:36.

Third: 6, Washington, Backstrom 1 (Ovechkin, Semin), 8:36. Penalties--Erskine, Was (tripping), 2:11; Corvo, Car (hooking), 2:36; Wallin, Car (hooking), 11:20.

Shots on goal: Washington 15-7-15--37. Carolina 14-6-7--27. Power-play opportunities: Washington 1 of 5; Carolina 1 of 7. Goalies: Washington, Johnson 5-1-2 (14 shots-13 saves), Theodore (0:00 second, 13-13). Carolina, Leighton 4-2-0 (37-32). Referees: Chris Lee, Brad Watson. Linesmen: David Brisebois, Mark Wheler.

A--14,261.