In Washington, DC, the Capitals scored four times in the opening stanza to take a 4-2 lead over the Ottawa Senators into the middle frame on Monday night.
Washington added two more in the second period en route to a 6-3 win over the Senators.
Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves in the win.
The Caps improved to 27-21-9 to extend their point streak to five games.
“Through this stretch I think you’re seeing a lot more goals because we’re playing a lot better and we’re doing the right things and going to the right spots,” Washington defenseman John Carlson said. “You get rewarded for that.”
The first period was a tale of two-goal outbursts, with the Caps popping first.
Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring at 6:30 to stake the Caps to a 1-0 lead.
John Carlson connected at 8:30 off a power play strike for a 2-0 lead to Washington.
“It was a cool little moment,” Carlson said. “Especially after all that. I think it was just one of those things you can’t make up. Good things happen sometimes.”
Ottawa replied with their own outburst with Drake Batherson striking first to trim the deficit to 2-1 midway through the frame.
Shane Pinto tied the game, 2-2, when he potted a marker at 12:41.
The Caps replied with a second outburst when Max Pacioretty restored the lead, 3-2, at 18:33, scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle on the power play.
Just 14 seconds later, Beck Malenstyn pushed the lead to 4-2 headed to the middle frame..
“I think [Protas], one of his best games of the season,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “He had three or four instances where he used his size and his frame and his skating to protect the puck, to make a play, even when he had pressure and defenders draped all over him.”
The Senators dropped to 25-28-3.
“It just seemed like it was a tough battle tonight,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “When we kind of got close early in the first, then we gave them a couple more. And then in the second we scored one to make it 4-3 and right away they got another one. So, it just seemed like we just couldn’t get any traction. We made some mistakes that were costly.”
In the second period, Brady Tkachuk cut into the Caps’ lead at 1:27 to make it 4-3.
Washington’s Hendrix Lapierre then hit for a double in the middle frame to take the game out of reach for the Senators.
“I had a blast playing with these guys tonight, and I’ll take the couple bounces and the goals,” Lapierre said after his first multigoal NHL game. “I thought it was a great effort from everyone. It was fun to see guys up and down the lineup contributing.”
His first came at 1:58 after an errant clearing attempt found its way to him for a 5-3 lead.
Lapierre collected his double at 10:55, scoring off an odd man rush for the 6-3 final count on the scoreboard. 
Anton Forsberg got the start for Ottawa, he surrendered four goals, making six saves before getting the hook in the first intermission.
Joonas Korpisalo made 10 saves in a mop up role.
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