Capitals 6, Senators 3

WASHINGTON - Mike Green had two goals and an assist, Michael Nylander and Brooks Laich both added a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Tuesday.

Green, Nylander and Laich each scored during a four-goal first period for Washington, which beat Ottawa for the second time in four days. The Capitals topped the Senators 8-6 on Saturday.

The Capitals pressured Ottawa throughout that game and did the same thing in the first period of this one. Washington got 15 of its 26 shots in the first period and created numerous scoring chances.

Viktor Kozlov scored the other first-period goal. Boyd Gordon sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the third period.

Washington's Alex Ovechkin added two assists. Olie Kolzig recovered from a shaky start to finish with 31 saves.

Chris Neil and Dean McAmmond both had a goal and an assist for Ottawa, 0-3 against the Capitals this season. In the three losses, Ottawa has given up 18 goals.

Ottawa (25-10-4) scored twice in the game's first five minutes, but Washington took command with five consecutive goals over a 15:37 stretch.

Neil gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead on a breakaway 1:54 into the game. McAmmond made it 2-0 at 4:46 before the Washington offence awakened.

The Capitals got goals from Kozlov, Nylander and Green in a stretch of 2:19 to take a 3-2 lead just 7:34 into the game. Green's goal came 35 seconds after Nylander scored and ended Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber's day.

Gerber allowed three goals on just eight shots. He has allowed 10 goals on just 37 shots against the Capitals this season.

Washington stretched the lead to 4-2 when Laich beat goalie Ray Emery on a backhander from his knees with 4:15 left in the first period. Green scored on a power-play goal in the first minute of the second period to put the Capitals up 5-2.

Notes: Kozlov's goal was his first since Nov. 8, ending a 23-game dry spell ... Washington's Alexander Semin (tailbone) and Tom Poti (upper body injury) both missed big parts of this game and are listed day-to-day ... Ottawa's Jason Spezza's 10-game point-scoring streak ended ... Senators forward Randy Robitaille sat out with the flu ... The Senators next play Friday in Buffalo against the Sabres (7:30 p.m., Sens TV, Team 1200).