March 16, 2008 Bruins lose to Capitals in shootout

WASHINGTON (AP) - Alexander Semin and Viktor Kozlov scored shootout goals and the Washington Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Sunday.

Semin opened the shootout with a shot into the upper right corner of the net past Alex Auld, and Kozlov clinched the win with a drive into the bottom left corner.

Sergei Fedorov scored Washington's lone goal in regulation. Chuck Kobasew tied it for the Bruins in the second period.

Cristobal Huet saved a shot by Kobasew in the shootout and Phil Kessel missed wide left for the Bruins. Auld stopped Alex Ovechkin before Kozlov won it in the third round.

With the overtime point, the Bruins moved into a sixth-place tie with the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference. Washington is two spots and two points behind eighth-place Philadelphia and the postseason cutoff.

Fedorov made it 1-0 with 1:18 left in the first period during a 5-on-3 power play. Fedorov picked up Nicklas Backstrom's pass at the top of the right circle, and with the defense shading toward Ovechkin at the top of the left circle, slapped the puck past Auld.

After a slow first period, the teams combined for 29 shots in the second - 16 by Boston.

Boston tied it on Kobasew's power-play goal 10:13 into the period.

Both teams had a number of scoring chances in the third, with Boston recording 17 shots to Washington's nine. Notes: It was the first time in eight games Ovechkin didn't have a point. Ovechkin is one away from becoming

the first Capitals player with two 100-point seasons. ... Fedorov's goal was his 10th of the season and his first since joining the Capitals in a trade with Columbus on Feb. 26. ... The Capitals will now leave Washington for a season-high, six-game road trip. ... Boston D Zdeno Chara missed his fifth game because of an upper body injury sustained March 8 in the previous matchup with Washington.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)