Capitals rally from 2-goal hole, top Islanders 3-2

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- The Washington Capitals kept up their dominance of the New York Islanders , and have a key timeout to thank for their latest win.

Alexander Semin snapped a tie 5:41 into the third period, and Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves for the Capitals, who rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Islanders on Saturday night.

Shortly after the Islanders took a 2-0 lead in the second period, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau used his timeout and changed the Capitals' fortunes.

" The timeout was the turning point of the game," Washington center Marcus Johansson said.

Semin gave Washington a 3-2 lead when he wristed a shot past Al Montoya. Semin has 22 goals, two behind Alex Ovechkin - who assisted on the tally - for tops on the team.

Brooks Laich and Mike Knuble also scored for the Capitals, who trailed 2-1 entering the third period after losing 6-0 at home to the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Washington is 10-0-3 in its past 13 meetings with the Islanders, including six straight wins on Long Island.

" We played well in the first period, and about 10 minutes of the second period,'' Islanders forward Kyle Okposo said. " After that, we stopped playing our game, and gave them a couple of chances and they capitalized."

Okposo and Travis Hamonic scored and Montoya made 19 saves for the Islanders, who lost their third straight despite leading 2-0. New York took the first 11 shots of the game without scoring, but grabbed a 1-0 lead with its next shot.

Okposo skated in on a 2-on-1 break, moved from the wing to the slot, and fired a wrist shot that beat Neuvirth high at 13:48.

The Islanders jumped ahead 2-0 just 33 seconds into the middle period when Hamonic took a slap shot from the right point that eluded traffic and Neuvirth, who wasn't impressed by either of New York's tallies.

" I think they got two lucky goals," he said.

Laich cut the Capitals' deficit in half at 9:44 when he sent a wrist shot from the left side between Montoya's pads.

Knuble tied it at 2:24 of the third period when he backhanded a rebound past Montoya. The Capitals can now savor this comeback until Tuesday when those host the Islanders.

" I'm just glad we have a couple of days off, especially with a win," Boudreau said.

Notes: Among Washington's scratches were Marco Sturm, claimed Saturday off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings , and goalie Seymon Varlamov. Todd Ford served as Neuvirth's backup. ... The Islanders placed C Rob Schremp and G Nathan Lawson on waivers. ... The attendance was 16,250, the Islanders' biggest home crowd of the season.