Caps Halt Bruins Streak

The Washington Capitals are making two pay for their penalties.

Washington tied its own NHL record by going 12 straight games without allowing a power-play goal, and Craig Billington made 28 saves for his eighth career shutout as the Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 3-0 on Saturday night.

"We had trouble with our penalty killing early in the season," Capitals forward Peter Bondra said. "We tried to verbalize our mistakes and watch video, and now we play as a unit."

"It is a tribute to Craig," Washington coach Ron Wilson said. "He has not played for so long, and for him to give us an effort like that, says a lot."

Washington extended its unbeaten streak to four and snapped Boston's eight-game home unbeaten streak.

The Capitals killed five power-play chances to push their total to 53 straight chances without allowing a goal. They set the record in 1976-77, killing off 32 consecutive chances.

"Our power-play was a coin toss at the beginning of the season," Billington said. "If I told you our secret, I'd have to kill you."

Not only are the Capitals killing opponents power plays, they also are scoring on them.

Andrei Nikolishin scored a shorthanded goal, scoring on a wrist shot past goalie Byron Dafoe at 16:32 of the first period to make it 2-0. Nikolishin added an empty-net goal with 27 seconds left.

Peter Bondra scored his team-leading 11th goal at 1:09 of the first period, beating Dafoe just inside the post.

Billington preserved the shutout with a save on Sergei Samsonov's close-range shot with five minutes remaining.

"We played like a series of the Keystone Cops," Bruins coach Pat Burns said. "Our passing was horrendous and nobody was in it tonight."

The Capitals have struggled on the road this season as they came into this game with a 1-5-1 record, while the Bruins have excelled at home at 6-1-2.

Washington's Adam Oates has recorded an assist in four consecutive games, and is second overall in the NHL since the 1990-91 season to Wayne Gretzky for most assists.

Dafoe made 26 saves for the Bruins, and had his personal three-game winning streak snapped.

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