54th goal, 5 games left

 Capitals 5, Islanders 3. Ovechkin had 24:39 of total ice time, +1, average shift was 1:10, 5 shots on goal, 1 hit.

By By HOWARD FENDRICH, Apr. 1, 2009:

WASHINGTON (AP) -Mike Green's two power-play goals less than 1 1/2 minutes apart in the third period and Alex Ovechkin's NHL-leading 54th tally helped the Washington Capitals beat the New York Islanders 5-3 on Wednesday night to near a second consecutive division title.

Green's 18 man-advantage goals set a franchise record for a defenseman, breaking the mark of 16 held by Scott Stevens. Ovechkin has 33 home goals, one more than the Capitals record he set in 2007-08.

New York went up 2-0 only 37 seconds into the second period when Okposo and Jeff Tambellini set up Nielsen's goal. The puck appeared to go in off Nielsen's skate, but the goal was allowed after a video review.

Then things got rough - and the Capitals began playing much better.

First, Washington's John Erskine and New York's Joel Rechlicz fought. About 1 1/2 minutes later, Green leveled Andy Hilbert along the boards, prompting a brawl involving nearly everyone on the ice.

Green wound up sitting alongside Erskine, whistled for charging, while New York's Tim Jackman and Washington's Jeff Schultz drew fighting penalties - as Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau yelled colorfully at the officials.

Something in that whole sequence got Washington going, and Ovechkin made it 2-1 at 5:37 of the second period. Sergei Fedorov went behind the net one way and suddenly sent the puck back in the opposite direction to a wide-open Ovechkin, whose shot bounced off MacDonald's left pad and in.

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