Capitals win 5th in a row thanks to Kuznetsov, Holtby
Braden Holtby extended his streak without a regulation loss to 22 games, and Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded three points for the fifth time this season as the Washington Capitals picked up their fifth straight victory with a 4-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks.
The @washcaps have 11 straight wins at Verizon Center, their longest such run since a franchise-record 13-game streak from Jan 5–Mar 6, 2010
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 15, 2016
The Capitals netminder and Vezina favorite made 29 saves as he passed Don Beaupre for second in franchise victories with the 129th win of his career. He has a long way to go for the team record as Olaf Kolzig tops the list with 301 wins between 1995 and 2008.
Related: Holtby could challenge Brodeur's single-season wins record
Kuznetsov opened the scoring Thursday with a beautiful move to beat Ryan Miller, and followed that up with a no-look backhand saucer pass to set up Tom Wilson for the team's third goal. He capped off the night with an empty-netter in the final seconds to move into the top 10 in league scoring.
Karl Alzner scored the other goal for the Capitals while Canucks forward Radim Vrbata ended Holtby's shutout bid midway through the third period.
The night began with a ceremony honoring Alex Ovechkin for reaching the 500-goal mark as a video featuring a number of former players who share the milestone extended congratulations to the winger.
The Capitals will look to continue their dominant form Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.