Rarity for Kolzig, Caps: Consecutive victories

It was a rare high in a season littered with lows.

The Washington Capitals matched their season-high win streak of two last night with a powerful defensive effort — particularly against the power play — and another strong game from goalie Olie Kolzig.

The combination was enough to make Robert Lang’s first-period goal stand up in the Caps’ 1-0 win over Edmonton before an announced 12,704 at MCI Center. The Caps won back-to-back games for only the second time this season and will have a chance to build on the modest streak Wednesday when Calgary comes to town.

“We did a remarkable job on really limiting them entering our zone with any kind of speed,” said Kolzig, who had his first shutout this season. “Penalty killing did a tremendous job for us. Two 5-on-3s we killed off and numerous other times. That was the difference.”

Kolzig posted 26 saves, giving him 55 on 56 shots in the two victories. However, the penalty-killing unit especially shined, killing six extra-man situations, including a four-minute power play in the second. The Oilers also were stoned for a full two minutes with two extra skaters early in the third.

“They had all the time in the world,” Caps defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. “[Edmonton center Adam] Oates is a great playmaker, and to kill those two minutes of 5-on-3 was huge for us.”

Lang’s 22nd goal gave the Caps a 1-0 lead at 19:40 of the first period. Jaromir Jagr started the play along the boards on the right side and centered the puck to Jeff Halpern. The center then skated down the middle past defenseman Steve Staios before finding Lang open in the slot. Lang easily fired past Tommy Salo (21 saves).

With the score, the 34-year-old from the Czech Republic matched his output from last season, his first in Washington. It was Jagr’s 27th assist — tying him with Lang for the team lead — and the seventh for Halpern, who is playing some of his best hockey and has been particularly productive lately on the power-play and penalty-killing units.

The Caps’ second shutout of the season — the other was by goalie Maxime Ouellet — came in the teams’ only meeting. Washington, which has a 3-10-0-0 record against the Western Conference, kept the win in perspective after beating a club that was finishing a six-game trip, which included a win over Philadelphia on Saturday.

Washington (13-26-4-1) is still 13 games below .500, mired in last place in the Southeast Division and a modern miracle away from the playoffs. But the rare winning streak provided a reason for optimism, particularly on the heels of a seven-game winless streak.

“I don’t look at the standings,” said Kolzig, who has been criticized for his struggles this season. “I don’t look at stats. I don’t look at anything. I just worry about my game. We have 38 games to go. Anything can happen. That’s the approach we have to have.”

The Caps won despite being outshot (26-22) for the 10th time in 11 games. Washington’s power play also couldn’t connect on its four chances.

However, Washington’s defense and Kolzig were the difference. Edmonton’s four-minute power play, which included a 5-on-3 for 11 seconds, provided only two low-percentage shots. The defensive gem came when the Caps’ top defender, Brendan Witt, was called for roughing and cross-checking after hitting Ryan Smith in front of the Caps’ goal.

The penalty killers repeated the feat during a 5-on-3 at 2:30 of the third period when Jagr was called for an illegal stick and Halpern was charged with high sticking. But the Caps yielded two harmless, long-range shots.

Late in the second period, Kolzig showed why he has been considered one of the best goalies in the NHL. He blocked a powerful slap shot from Cory Cross from between the top of the circles. The Oilers’ Ethan Moreau got the rebound on the doorstep but was stymied by Kolzig to keep the shutout alive.

“We haven’t played that well defensively,” Caps coach Glen Hanlon said. “So when you wind up facing 35 shots, some bad things are going to happen. Tonight and last game Olie played well, and we allowed him to feel good about himself by not giving them more chances early on.”