Capitals 4, Predators 1
WASHINGTON -- Daniel Winnik scored his first two goals as a member of the Capitals, Evgeny Kuznetsov had three assists and Washington defeated the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Friday night.
T.J. Oshie added his career-high 22nd goal of the season for the Capitals.
Winnik, acquired Feb. 28 from Toronto in a trade involving Brooks Laich, scored twice in Washington's three-goal second period.
Andre Burakovsky's 15th goal just 36 seconds into the third period made it 4-1.
It was the fourth three-assist game of the season for Kuznetsov, who is tied for third in the league with 73 points.
Braden Holtby made 20 saves for Washington (51-14-5).
Filip Forsberg scored his 29th goal of the season for Nashville (36-23-13), which began play only three points behind third-place Chicago in the Central Division.
The Predators, who got 26 stops from Carter Hutton, came in 11-1-5 in their last 17 games.
Washington had the better chances and outshot Nashville 11-4 in the scoreless first period.
Nashville took a 1-0 lead at 3:30 of the second period on a power play when Forsberg beat Holtby from the right circle with a wrister.
After that, it was all Capitals.
During a Washington power play, the Predators cleared the puck. Holtby fielded it and immediately passed all the way up to Kuznetsov at the Nashville blue line while the Predators were on a change.
Kuznetsov carried in, faked a shot to freeze Hutton and passed across to Winnik, who fired into the open net at 7:52 of the period -- just after the power play ended.
Washington made it 2-0 at 12:22 when Kuznetsov executed what's becoming a familiar pass for him. As he skated behind the Predators' net, causing Hutton to move to his left, Kuznetsov passed behind himself back to Oshie on the right and he scored as Hutton scrambled to get back.
Winnik struck again with 18 seconds left in the period when he took a pass from Dmitri Orlov on the rush and beat Hutton high to the glove side from the left circle for his 200th NHL point.
NOTES: Washington C Evgeny Kuznetsov (20 goals, 50 assists) is the 12th player in franchise history to register at least 20 goals and 50 assists in a season and the first since LW Alex Ovechkin in 2010-11 (32 goals, 53 assists). ... Nashville captain Shea Weber began play tied with Martin Erat (163) for second place on the team's career goals list. ... The Predators open a four-game homestand Monday night when they host the Kings. ... D Anthony Bitetto and C Paul Gaustad were scratched for Nashville. ... Washington scratches included D Mike Weber, C Michael Latta and RW Stanislav Galiev.