Green Strikes Twice to Sink Lightning

Alex Ovechkin got his 50th goal of the season and Mike Green scored a pair of goals as the Caps completed a two-game sweep in Florida with a 5-2 win over the Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum.

With the win, the Caps surpassed last season's point total, and now need just seven points in their last nine games to clinch their second straight Southeast title. Washington also passes New Jersey for second spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase, and pull just four points behind Boston for the top spot.

After an early flurry by the Capitals, Ovechkin opened the scoring 7:43 into the game, firing a shot past Mike McKenna for his 50th strike in a 4-on-4 situation, becoming the first three-time 50-goal scorer in Washington history. He capped it off with one of a unique celebration, putting his stick on the ice and pretending it was on fire.

Young Steve Stamkos brought Tampa Bay even with 2:41 to play, beating Sergei Varlamov while Alex Semin was sitting in the box for his second hooking penalty of the first period.

But Mike Green put the Caps ahead before the period ended, beating McKenna with a high shot with 9.1 seconds left in the first for a 2-1 lead heading into the dressing room.

Despite being in the Southeast basement, Tampa Bay didn't go away, and Martin St. Louis evened the game on a scramble in front of Varlamov with 4:04 to play in the frame to send the game to the second intermission deadlocked at 2-2.

The Caps took the game over in the third period, as Green scored his second of the night 1:48 into the third in a goal similar to his marker in the first period for his 27th of the year. Michael Nylander then chipped in a power play goal just under six minutes later, and the Caps were in control. Matt Bradley added an insurance marker with 7:34 to play, and Washington had their seventh road win in its last eight tries.

The Caps now head to Raleigh to complete their four-game portion of the road trip against their divisional opponents, going 2-1-0 so far.