ATLANTA (AP) -- In 12 NHL seasons, Gord Murphy has never encountered a schedule calling for three straight games against the same team.

"It's something we kind of joked -- if we win the first two, does that mean we have to play the third?" Murphy said after the Atlanta Thrashers ended the Washington Capitals' four-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory Thursday night.

	Atlanta goalie Scott Fankhouser blocks a shot by Washington's Steve Konowalchuk for one of his 21 saves Thursday.

"But you've got to stay focused and take one period at a time."

Only two seconds after the Thrashers ended a power play, Murphy's slap shot in front of the Atlanta bench ricocheted off Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig and right in front of Ray Ferraro, who punched in the go-ahead goal 31 seconds into the second period.

"An excellent effort by Murphy on the point to hold that puck in," said Thrashers coach Curt Fraser, whose club visits Washington Saturday before the teams face off again Wednesday in Atlanta. "Ferraro was sitting there in the place he always is, waiting for it."

Atlanta went up 3-1 only 26 seconds later when Nelson Emerson scored after taking a pass across the slot from Kelly Buchberger on a breakaway.

The Thrashers' mini-series with Washington marks the first time the NHL has arranged such a schedule since Calgary and Los Angeles played three straight games in 1985.

The Capitals, who fell to 5-13-1 on the road, managed only 21 shots. They even failed to get a shot off in the last 1:30 after coach Ron Wilson pulled Kolzig.

Adam Oates, Washington's leading scorer, did not take a shot in his 23:06 minutes on the ice. Peter Bondra, whose 13 goals lead the Capitals, sat out with a knee injury.

"To put in an effort like we did tonight was unexcusable," said Kolzig, who saved 26 shots as his record fell to 11-14-7. "It's like our heart wasn't in it. We've got to fix this road record. It's disgusting."

Thrashers rookie goalie Scott Fankhouser improved to 2-2-1 since being called up from the Orlando of the IHL on Dec. 17.

Sergei Gonchar, who had first career hat trick in the Capitals' 6-1 rout of Montreal on Tuesday, tied it 1-1 by punching in a rebound of Joe Sacco's shot from the top of the right circle.

Gonchar's goal, which got through the Fankhouser's glove side of 11:24 into the second period, made up for poor defense early in the first period.

With the Capitals on a power play, Gonchar had possession of the puck in a one-on-one situation when Atlanta defenseman Ed Ward made a clean steal and quick wraparound shot.

Ward, who scored his second short-handed goal in as many games, gave the Thrashers a 1-0 lead 5:46 into the second period.

"We didn't deserve to win," Gonchar said. "We have to look in the mirror and be honest with ourselves. We didn't play well. It's unacceptable to have only four shots on goal in the first period. We didn't play tough enough."

Ferraro and Emerson increased their scoring streaks to three games for the Thrashers, who entered with only 25 points -- second-worst in the NHL.