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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Up three goals and with an eye on the scoreboard, the Washington Capitals nearly looked past expansion Atlanta.
Instead, the Capitals held off the Thrashers 5-2 Tuesday night and moved within one point of the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
|  | | Washington's Richard Zednik sends Atlanta's Shean Donovan on an unscheduled flight through the MCI Center. |
"Maybe when we got up 3-0 we were a little complacent," said left wing Steve Konowalchuk, who had a goal and an assist. "We let them back in 3-2, but fortunately we were able to get back on our horses."
Ulf Dahlen scored a pair of insurance goals to seal the victory, but there were also loud cheers as the conference-leading New Jersey Devils lost 3-2 at Pittsburgh. The Southeast Division-leading Capitals can move past New Jersey if they beat Pittsburgh at home Thursday.
Not a bad turnaround for a team that was floundering near the .500 mark when it lost 3-1 in Atlanta in early January. The Capitals have the NHL's best record (29-7-5) since Jan. 1. They have won seven of eight and are 7-0-1 in their last eight home games. They also have a 13-game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) against Southeast Division teams.
"The way we started the year, we thought we were going to be in a dogfight for the seventh, eighth seed," Konowalchuk said. "It just goes to show a bunch of guys can come together and play for each other. We don't have any selfish people."
Richard Zednik and Jeff Halpern also scored, and Olaf Kolzig made 22 saves for the Capitals, who appeared to be cruising until Atlanta scored two quick goals early in the third period.
The first came after Rob Zettler was called for roughing, giving Atlanta a power play that led to Andrew Brunette's rebound goal 3:45 into the period. Donald Audette scored just 17 seconds later.
But Dahlen was able to stuff in a rebound, restoring the two-goal lead, after Damian Rhodes stopped Konowalchuk's wraparound with 8:53 to play. Dahlen added a goal, his 15th, into an empty net with 1:12 remaining.
Rhodes made 42 saves for the Thrashers, 1-14-1 in 16 games. Rhodes, who returned earlier this month after missing 45 games with ankle and knee injuries, stopped 153 shots in his last four games.
"We've lost a little bit of grit in our defensive edge," coach Curt Fraser said. "We've missed Rhodes for four months. When the Caps played us before, they were doing nothing, and then Kolzig came out of the box, built up some confidence in the players in front of him."
The Capitals, short on concentration against a last-place opponent, played careless defense much of the game, and breakdowns forced Kolzig to make several outstanding saves. He was also helped when Atlanta defenseman Rumun Ndur shot wide of an open net from point-blank range in the first period.
"It's been hard when we're playing the teams that are out of it because they don't quite play the same as teams that are battling for playoff position," coach Ron Wilson said. "Two points didn't mean a hoot to Atlanta. They're very important to us, so you would think we would be a little more nervous in a game like that."
The Capitals, who outshot the Thrashers 47-24, took the lead 5:59 into the game. Dahlen, skating down the right wing, waited for Konowalchuk to enter the slot. Konowalchuk, one step ahead of defender Dean Sylvester, diverted Dahlen's pass into the net for his 15th goal.
Another redirect made it 2-0 at 10:13 of the second when Joe Murphy and Zednik both got a touch on Zettler's shot from the point. It was the first assist of the season for Zettler, recalled from Portland of the AHL earlier this month.
Halpern got credit for the third goal, his 16th, but it was Atlanta's Maxim Galanov whose momentum knocked the puck in after Rhodes stopped Halpern's shot on a power play late in the second period.
The Thrashers had only two shots in the second, and none during two power plays.
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NHL Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
RECAPS
Washington 5
Atlanta 2
Ottawa 5
Philadelphia 2
Pittsburgh 3
New Jersey 2
Dallas 4
Tampa Bay 2
Nashville 3
NY Islanders 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Konowalchuk deflects the puck into the net.
avi: 554 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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