Updated

Matt Hendricks scored in the fourth round of 4 win over the New York Islanders.

After Michal Neuvirth closed the five-hole on Mark Streit's attempt, Hendricks skated in and faked to the backhand before putting the puck past Evgeni Nabokov for the win.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Keith Aucoin added three assists for the Capitals, who have won four straight. Neuvirth turned away 26 shots.

The win gives the Capitals 78 points and a four-point lead over Buffalo for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals still trail Florida, which defeated Toronto on Tuesday, by one point for the top spot in the Southeast Division.

John Tavares had two goals and an assist while Travis Hamonic added a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have dropped their past four. Nabokov stopped 24 shots.

The Islanders took a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to a couple of fortunate bounces.

Matt Moulson blasted a shot from the top of the left circle that went wide and bounced off the back boards. The puck popped into the air and Neuvirth turned around to find it. It then hit off the stomach of the goaltender and went into the net at the 8:54 mark.

Skating on the power play, Hamonic tried to center the puck from the low left side, but it hit off the skate of Washington's John Carlson and snuck into the net with 21 seconds left in the first.

The Islanders took a 3-0 lead 9:05 into the second when Streit blasted a shot from the right point that saw Tavares jam home the rebound.

Washington answered just 28 seconds later on Dennis Wideman's slap shot from the right point that Knuble tipped in, but Tavares responded two minutes later when he finished off a nice passing play with a one-timer from the low left side.

The Caps got one back with 53 seconds to play in the second when Ovechkin snapped in a rebound at the left side off a shot from Brooks Laich.

It was a one-goal game just 1:51 into the third as Marcus Johansson sent a pass from the right corner to the slot where Dmitry Orlov took a stride down and snuck in the forehand.

Ovechkin tied the game halfway through the third as his one-timer off a pass from Aucoin was stopped, but he got in his second chance at the rebound for his 29th goal of the season.

Game Notes

Moulson's goal was his 30th of the year. He has reached 30 goals in three straight seasons and is the first Isle to accomplish that since Zigmund Palffy did it in the 1995-96 through 1997-98 seasons...These teams split the season series, with the Islanders taking six points due to a loss in overtime and the shootout...The Isles host the Flyers on Thursday...Washington continues its five-game road trip in Winnipeg on Friday.