Alexander Semin

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 five 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.

The Capitals have started to retool their roster after another early playoff exit. They have re-signed center Brooks Laich, traded for power forward Troy Brouwer and added a few draft picks to their minor-league system. Expect more changes -- perhaps more significant ones -- after owner Ted Leonsis said the Capitals "want to change and improve" this offseason. He also suggested that some trades could be in the works. Keeping Laich and acquiring Brouwer should help the Capitals in the grit department, but I’m of the belief that they need to add size and physicality on the back end. The Capitals committed themselves to team defense last season and were one of the NHL’s stingiest teams when it comes to goals against, but they can only do so much with mediocre defensive players.

Brooks Laich scored twice and five other Washington players had goals to lift the short-handed Capitals to a 7-3 win over the host Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. The Capitals were without star Alex Ovechkin , who was suspended for two games for a hit on Chicago's Brian Campbell . Ovechkin will also miss Thursday's game at Carolina. Nicklas Backstrom , Eric Fehr , Brendan Morrison , Jason Chimera and Alexander Semin each scored for the Capitals.

Early in the regular season, it became clear the Washington Capitals would need to go through the upstart Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Southeast Division. After four months of jockeying, Washington triumphed for a fourth consecutive Southeast crown. With the teams' Eastern Conference semifinal series set to begin with Game 1 tonight at Verizon Center, the Capitals find themselves with the familiar Lightning serving as a roadblock once more. Washington went 4-1-1 against Tampa Bay in the regular season, but that statistic may be misleading.

Mason Raymond tied the game with a nifty move late in the second period and then patiently lifted in the winner on a power play with 6:04 left, lifting the host Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Friday night. "We stayed with it and got some big goals there by Raymond," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo , who struggled on first-period goals by Alexander Semin and Chris Clark , but stopped Semin on a penalty shot with 5:45 left among his 25 saves.

TAMPA, Fla. - - Martin St. Louis scored the go-ahead goal and the Tampa Bay Lightning ended a 12-game losing streak to Washington with a 7-4 victory over the Capitals on Tuesday night. After the Lightning blew a three-goal lead, St. Louis' 250th career goal put Tampa Bay up 5-4 with 2:32 left in the second period. The right wing extended his points streak to 11 games (11 assists, 17 points). Steven Stamkos had a pair of power-play goals as the Lightning took a 4-1 first-period lead.

WASHINGTON - - Nicklas Backstrom and David Steckel scored 46 seconds apart late in the third period, rallying the Washington Capitals past the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2, Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory. Backstrom erased a 2-1 Red Wings lead by taking Alex Ovechkin's pass and skating by Brad Stuart in the left circle before beating Chris Osgood from close range on a power play with 6:45 left. Steckel's fourth goal, a deflection of Alexander Semin's shot, put Washington ahead less than a minute later.

WASHINGTON - - The Capitals scored three goals in a 2 1/2 -minute span in the third period Wednesday night, igniting a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks and giving the Eastern Conference's top team its longest winning streak in 26 years. Shaone Morrisonn, Mike Knuble and Alexander Semin scored on consecutive shots early in the third period to break open a tie game, helping the Capitals win their eighth straight - their best run since taking a franchise-record 10 in a row during the 1983-84 season.

Tomas Fleischmann scored on a one-timer from the right circle with 1:40 remaining in overtime to give the host Washington Capitals a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. The NHL-leading Capitals have earned a standings point in 15 straight home games and haven't lost at home in regulation in 2010. Washington's franchise-record 13-game home winning streak ended Monday night in a shootout loss to Dallas. Defenseman Mike Green scored twice, Alexander Semin got his 31st, and Jos� Theodore made 28 saves for the Capitals.

Alexander Semin scored at 18:24 of overtime, lifting the top-seeded Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Wednesday. Captain Alex Ovechkin also tallied and Michal Neuvirth made 24 saves for the Capitals, who host Game 2 on Friday. Defenseman Matt Gilroy scored and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 shots for New York, which was outshot 10-6 in overtime. With time winding down in the first extra session, Jason Arnott blocked Rangers defenseman Marc Staal's clearing attempt at the right point.

The four-hour conflagration between the Capitals and Rangers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series will be remembered for its thrills, for an early 3-0 New York lead and a three-goal Washington rally in the third period to force overtime. And, of course, it will stay vivid for its final image of a 4-3 win by the Caps that left them in command, three games to one, with the series headed back to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday. In this game's final split-second, with 7:24 left in the second overtime, the Capitals' Jason Chimera found himself behind the entire New York defense, in sole possession of a deflected puck off a Rangers stick, with nothing to do except flip the puck into an empty net for victory.

Almost no one expected the Washington Capitals to sweep the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. After all, only 14 points separated the rivals in the standings, and the Rangers handed the Capitals their two ugliest losses of the regular season. Still, there's something unsettling about the Capitals' grasp on this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, which, after Sunday's 3-2 loss, appears tenuous at two games to one. They've been outplayed in four straight periods, out-shot the past two games and, counting goals scored in regulation, are up five to the Rangers' four.

— Almost no one expected the Washington Capitals to sweep the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. After all, only 14 points separated the rivals in the standings, and the Rangers handed the Capitals their two ugliest losses of the regular season. Still, there's something unsettling about the Capitals' grasp on this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, which, after Sunday's 3-2 loss, appears tenuous at two games to one. They've been outplayed in four straight periods, outshot the past two games and, counting goals scored in regulation, have five to the Rangers' four.

The Capitals begin another playoff quest for that elusive Stanley Cup tonight when they host their former Patrick Division rivals, the Rangers. Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are again the top seed in the East, but we learned last year that we shouldn’t overlook their first-round opponent. Here are five keys to beating the Rangers: No change in approach: The Capitals went through some growing pains in 2010-11 and trailed the Lightning in the Southeast Division for a big chunk of the season.

Alexander Semin scored at 18:24 of overtime, lifting the top-seeded Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Wednesday. Captain Alex Ovechkin also tallied and Michal Neuvirth made 24 saves for the Capitals, who host Game 2 on Friday. Defenseman Matt Gilroy scored and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 shots for New York, which was outshot 10-6 in overtime. With time winding down in the first extra session, Jason Arnott blocked Rangers defenseman Marc Staal's clearing attempt at the right point.

The Capitals have had trouble cashing in this season, but playing five Washington forwards paid off for Jimmy Smith, a Capitals fan from Alexandria, Va. Smith won the Virginia Lottery's Cash 5 game last month with the lucky combination of 8-19-21-22-28, the numbers of Capitals' top five point-getters. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize that Smith claimed are 1-in-278,256. From the corny press release from the Virgnia Lottery: "Jimmy Smith of Alexandria doesn’t play hockey; he plays the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game.

Expect the Capitals, who trail the Lightning by five points in the Southeast Division, to be players before the NHL's trade deadline on Feb. 28. As it's currently constituted, this team doesn't appear to be capable of going on a deep playoff run (though nothing should be discounted as long as Alex Ovechkin is in the scarlet and white). Looking at their shopping list, the Capitals need a second-line center to play with Alexander Semin -- assuming he doesn't get shipped elsewhere before the deadline -- and they must fortify the back end with a defensive defenseman or two. And though plenty of fans are enamored with Semyon Varlamov and Michael Neuvirth, I believe the Capitals need to bring in a veteran goalie who can carry the load alone.

The thrills and spills started early, with a goal and two penalties in the first 3 1/2 minutes. The Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals put on a performance featuring plenty of hard hits and 10 goals, including one from the NHL's first $100 million man. Philadelphia remained the hotter of the streaking teams with a 6-4 road victory yesterday. "It was a good hockey game," said Flyers center Mike Richards, who put in a rebound that slowed the Capitals' comeback bid in the third period.

As expected, the Capitals did some tinkering before today's 3 p.m. trade deadline, acquiring center Jason Arnott and defenseman Dennis Wideman in separate deals. On Saturday, Washington claimed winger Marco Sturm off waivers. The Capitals have improved their roster in the past couple of days, but how much exactly? Arnott, 36, brings with him to Washington a wealth of playoff experience, a Stanley Cup ring from a decade ago and whatever he has left in the tank -- which doesn't appear to be much.