WASHINGTON -- Peter Bondra is used to hearing cheers from Capitals fans. Sitting on the visiting bench in Washington will take a while to get used to.
Bondra, the Capitals' career scoring leader, had his five-game point streak snapped, but was showered with cheers of "Let's Go Bondra" and "We Want Bondra" throughout the Ottawa Senators' 4-1 victory over the Capitals on Monday night.
"It was a little bit different than a usual game," Bondra said. "I tried to prepare as if it was any other game, but it obviously wasn't."
The popular veteran was in his 13th season with Washington before being dealt to Ottawa on Feb. 18 for forward Brooks Laich and a second-round pick.
However, the Capitals, have also recently traded veterans Jaromir Jagr, Robert Lang, Michael Nylander and Sergei Gonchar. Washington sent forward Anson Carter to Los Angeles just before the start of the game against Ottawa.
"We seem to have been able to handle most of the changes," coach Glen Hanlon said. "When something happens that close to game time it does become difficult, but that's part of what's going on here."
Without Carter the Capitals continued to struggle on offense. They recorded just three shots in the first period and three more in the third.
Stephen Peat scored Washington's only goal at 6:28 of the second period, cutting the deficit to 2-1, but the Capitals failed on all five power-play chances.
Chris Phillips and Martin Havlat scored first-period goals, staking Ottawa to a 2-0 lead.
Wade Redden and Mike Fisher also scored for the Senators, who started a five-game road trip with their second straight victory.
"It's a game where you have to careful and it showed. They've been playing pretty well lately," Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. "We wanted to make sure we didn't give a whole lot and try to get ahead of them."
Patrick Lalime made 13 saves, a big improvement since allowing nine goals in his two previous starts. It was just his second win in six starts.
Phillips opened the scoring at 8:14 of the first period with a wrist shot that fooled Sebastien Charpentier, starting in goal in place of Olaf Kolzig.
Kolzig, who has been rumored to be the next Capitals player to be traded before Tuesday's NHL deadline, said after the game that illness kept him out of the game. However, he knew that staying healthy around the trade deadline affected his value.
"I was fighting a bit of a stomach virus, which a few of us have gotten," Kolzig said. "But I think a combination of that and if there were a trade to be made, obviously, they'd like me to be healthy."
Notes
- Washington's Jeff Halpern left during the third period because of a hand injury. Hanlon didn't know if Halpern would be able to play Wednesday against Buffalo.
- Daniel Alfredsson had two assists for the Senators, extending his point streak to five games.
- Washington's Jason Doig (wrist) and Dainius Zubrus (upper body) each missed their second straight game.
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