minutes. "We couldnt let them dictate too much of the gam

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkins goal was no surprise. But when defencemen Nate Schmidt and Karl Alzner scored, it was an unexpected bonus for Washington. Braden Holtby made 34 saves and Ovechkin scored the second of three goals by the Capitals in the first 17 minutes of a 5-2 victory over the Predators on Saturday night, extending Nashvilles losing streak to five games. Troy Brouwer and Eric Fehr also scored for the Capitals. Ovechkin got his 22nd goal this season and ninth on the power play, both NHL highs. Nicklas Backstrom and Mikhail Grabovski each had two assists. Schmidt, a 22-year-old rookie, got his first NHL goal. Alzner, a six-year veteran, got his first career goal in 148 home games. "Thats what Im here for. Im a game-closer. The finisher, they could call me," joked Alzner, who has six career goals and said he had been aware of his failure to score at home since his rookie season. In the dressing room, Schmidt had a wide smile as he posed for pictures with the puck. "Ive been used to previously having more points," he said. "Being a first-year defenceman, its going to come." Roman Josi scored the Predators first goal at the end of the first period and fed Eric Nystrom for their other one with 16:08 left. Nashville defenceman Shea Weber, playing for the first time since getting hit in the face by a puck on Nov. 28, also had an assist. "We couldnt find a way to score. Obviously, we didnt have many power plays tonight (one) to try and build momentum," Weber said. "Same story, weve just got to find a way to put it in." Washington took the lead after Nashville goalie Marek Mazanec (28 saves) failed to control a slap shot from the wing by Fehr. Battling a Predators defender, Brouwer got enough of his stick on the puck to trickle a backhand past Mazanec for his sixth goal. Less than 7 minutes later, Ovechkin scored 3 seconds into a power play, firing a slap shot off a faceoff feed from Backstrom. Alzner made it 3-0 with his first regular-season goal since Feb. 12. In addition to winning a draw that led to the goal, Backstrom played a role on the shot. He obstructed the view of Mazanec, slow to react on a drive from the defenceman that came from just inside the blue line. Alzner has often been criticized for a lack of aggressiveness with the puck. "When its his turn, we need a goal from him, or a good play, and we got one tonight," Washington coach Adam Oates said. "Every little touch he makes benefits us big picture." The teams traded goals early in the third period. After Schmidt scored the first of his career, Nystrom retaliated 23 seconds later in transition. With 5:10 left, Fehr got the clincher, scoring for the fourth time this season. He has six points in six games. "I think we were getting a little bit too fancy, looking for that perfect tap-in, backdoor play," Fehr said. "We talked before the game (and said), just get pucks to the net and crash and get some rebounds and try to get a greasy one. It worked out." NOTES: Ex-Capital Matt Hendricks faced Washington for the first time since he was signed by Nashville as a free agent. ... The losing streak is the longest for Nashville since it dropped eight straight in April. ... Nashvilles frustration showed as Rich Clune picked a fight with Washington rookie Tom Wilson, but got the worst of it after his helmet came off in the tussle. ... With the 136th power-play goal of his career, Ovechkin moved within one of Peter Bondras franchise record. ... The goal for Alzner was his first in 148 regular-season games at home. Gale Sayers Jersey . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Riley Ridley Youth Jersey . Jacob Jacques, Andrew Ryan and Jonathan Drouin also scored for Halifax (37-18-3), who outshot the Islanders 40-26. Kevin Darveau stopped 25 shots. Bradley Kennedy had the lone goal for Charlottetown (18-33-5), which has nine losses in its last 10 games. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Brian-Urlacher-Jersey/ .com) - Longtime Senators star Daniel Alfredsson returned to Ottawa on Thursday to officially announce his retirement. Anthony Miller Bears Jersey . - Maxence Parrot of Bromont, Que. Dick Butkus Bears Jersey . The Marlies surrendered two power-play goals and failed to score on six man-advantage opportunities en route to a 4-1 defeat in American Hockey League action on Saturday.SANDY, Utah -- Circle Sept. 27 on the calendar, for its Round 3 of what has become Major League Soccers newest rivalry. Thats the date Real Salt Lake visits BC Place, and its the night the Vancouver Whitecaps will surely look forward to after Saturdays 1-1 draw in the teams second memorable matchup this season. A questionable foul led to a Darren Mattocks goal for Vancouver and set off a 30-minute flurry that saw both teams go nose-to-nose and force action from end-to-end. "Real Salt Lake might be a new rival of ours," Vancouver coach Carl Robinson said with a smile. "Weve got a small team, but theyre willing to fight for the jersey and the camaraderie and the spirit theyve got is fantastic." In the teams first meeting Apr. 26, Vancouver erased a 2-0 deficit with two goals in the final eight minutes to stun the MLS Cup runner-up. Saturday, tempers were hotter than the hot desert air. A hard tackle on Mattocks by RSLs Nat Borchers led to a penalty kick and the games first goal in the 73rd minute. It was Mattocks second penalty kick goal of the Whitecaps road trip and his third goal this season. "Thats up to the referee to make the decision whether to give the PK or not," said Mattocks. "Its my job to help the team win games." A scrum broke out at midfield after the goal, and resulted in yellow cards for Sebastian Fernandez and Matias Laba. Goalkeeper David Ousted drew a yellow card moments later after he argued for a more severe penalty on RSL defender Tony Beltran after a hard foul on Fernandez. "Its a tough place to play," said Ousted, who recorded three saves. "They are a good team, and we need to bee smart about it.dddddddddddd. I think we got under their skin a bit and it creates drama. "We showed well stick up for each other. Thats the way its supposed to be for a team. Normally, I like when we can get away from the fights and not get into them, but well stick up for each other." The lead was short-lived, though, and this time it was the home team with some late magic to draw even. Joao Plata sprinted past Steven Beitashour toward the left corner, then fired low to the far post, out of Ousteds reach in the 81st minute. It was Salt Lakes first open goal (non-set piece) in more than 400 minutes. "We couldnt let them dictate too much of the game," said Ousted. "I thought we did really well. If we had been a little bit luckier, we might have gotten away with three points, but we werent. 1-1 is probably a fair result." The teams exchanged chances into stoppage time, with Salt Lake twice nearly pulling out the victory. Luke Mulhollands bicycle kick sailed over the crossbar in the 83rd minute, and Ousted collided with a rushing Robbie Findlay in stoppage time to thwart a fast-break chance. Vancouver earned a point for the fifth time in its past six road matches. Real Salt Lake fell to 1-4-2 after starting the season unbeaten in its first 12 matches. Robinson mixed up his starting lineup to get fresh legs in against an attacking RSL front, and for a team playing its second road game in four days. Omar Salgado and Medhi Ballouchy earned their first starts of the season and Erik Hurtado and Russell Teibert earned some well-deserved rest. The Whitecaps now have a full week off before hosting FC Dallas on July 27. ' ' '