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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Too bad Peter Bondra can't agree to a new
contract every night.
The Washington Capitals right wing celebrated his four-year
contract extension with a hat trick in Thursday night's 5-4 victory
over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
|  | | Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph made 31 saves, but got beat four times in the second period vs. the Capitals. |
"I was too excited the first period, a little bit too much,"
Bondra said. "I made myself sick."
But in the second, he scored his 28th, 29th and 30th goals for
his franchise-best 16th career hat trick in a wild period that
included seven goals.
"He found some room tonight," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said,
"and showed he is a heck of a hockey player."
After the game, the Capitals announced Bondra had agreed to a
four-year contract extension worth $18 million, according to a
league source speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Capitals have options on the third and fourth years,
according to the source. Bondra is making $3.75 million this
season.
It marked a remarkable turnaround for a player who was asking to
be traded at the start of the season.
"I'm happy for Peter," defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. "He
deserves it. You can see after he signed the deal he was so
excited, he was flying all over the ice."
Richard Zednik and Dmitri Khristich also scored for the
Capitals, who are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Gonchar, the
team's only All-Star, had three assists.
Jonas Hoglund, Shayne Corson, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Mats
Sundin scored the Maple Leafs, who rallied after starting slowly.
They were outshot 14-5 in the first period, having played the
previous night in Carolina.
"It wasn't as good a start as we would want," Quinn said. "We
played like it was the sixth game in nine nights."
Bondra's first-goal was atypical for him: a deflection of
Gonchar's shot from the point in a 4-on-4 situation that made the
score 2-0 at 3:25 of the second period.
The classic, sharpshooting Bondra was on display later, when he
rocketed one from the right circle on a power play that made it
3-2. He then dropped to his knees and raised his arms.
The third goal came less than 2½ minutes later, when Bondra took
the puck at the blue line and blasted his shot between the legs of
a defender and past goaltender Curtis Joseph on the stick side.
Bondra pantomimed tipping his helmet to the crowd as black hats
sailed onto the ice.
The Capitals dominated the first period, taking a 1-0 lead on
Zednik's 10th goal on a breakaway down the left wing.
The second period was something else altogether. The Maple Leafs
did their best to keep pace with Bondra's hat trick, rallying from
2-0 down to tie the score 2-2. Down 4-2 thanks to Bondra, Toronto
cut the margin again on Ponikarovsky's first career goal before
Khristich's power-play score made it 5-3 at the end of the period.
Sundin's 19th goal, on another 4-on-4, pulled the Maple Leafs to
5-4 with 14:31 remaining. But Toronto couldn't tie it again despite
a few chaotic moments in front of goaltender Olaf Kolzig in the
final minute.
"We've got to start playing better defensive hockey,"
Washington coach Ron Wilson said. "We can't rely on our goaltender
to stand on his head. It's not a circus."
Game notes
The Capitals acquired right wing Brantt Myhres from the
Nashville Predators in exchange for future considerations. Myhres
was immediately assigned to the Capitals' AHL affiliate in
Portland. ... Quinn, who successfully teamed Sundin and Sergei
Berezin against Carolina to spark a struggling offense, kept the
pair together against the Capitals. ... Washington defenseman Calle
Johansson got his 500th career point with an assist in the second
period.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
Making up? Bondra, Capitals agree on 4-year deal
RECAPS
Montreal 3
Boston 0
Philadelphia 2
NY Islanders 0
Washington 5
Toronto 4
Carolina 3
Atlanta 1
Tampa Bay 4
Buffalo 2
Columbus 2
St. Louis 2
Calgary 5
Chicago 3
Anaheim 4
Phoenix 2
Dallas 4
San Jose 2
Vancouver 5
Colorado 3
Nashville 6
Los Angeles 4
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Shayne Corson ties the score at 2 in the second.
avi: 586 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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