Blackhawks Roll To Win, Ovechkin Reaches Milestone

Marian Hossa's 492nd goal was a relief. His second one of the night was business as usual. Hossa snapped a career-long 14-game scoring drought with two goals and the Chicago Blackhawks rolled to a 6-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night that extended their season-high win streak to seven.

"When I was younger, I tried to do a little too much," said Hossa, who turns 37 on Tuesday. "I've learned over those years, if the puck doesn't go in, try to use your instincts, stay positive. Eventually it's going to go in. And I know it's been such a long time. It feels good."

Patrick Kane also scored two goals and Chicago chased Semyon Varlamov while improving to 18-5-1 at home. Jonathan Toews had a goal and two assists, Brandon Mashinter scored his second career goal and Corey Crawford had 34 saves.

The Blackhawks (58 points) moved within four points of idle Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.

"It seems like we're trending in the right direction," Kane said. "Keep building off this level we're at right now."

Varlamov was pulled after Kane's NHL-best 13th power-play goal made it 4-2 at 12:25 of the second. The 27-year-old Varlamov went 11-3 with a 1.80 goals-against average in his first 15 appearances against Chicago but has dropped each of his last two starts against the Blackhawks, allowing four goals in each one.

Capitals 7, Senators 1

Alex Ovechkin reached a career milestone at a rapid pace and in signature fashion. Ovechkin scored his 500th and 501st goals to become the 43rd NHL player to reach the mark and the Washington Capitals beat the Ottawa Senators 7-1 on Sunday night.

The landmark score was vintage Ovechkin. Posted up just beyond the left hashes during a power play, he fielded a feed from Jason Chimera and then whizzed a shot past the head of goalie Andrew Hammond just under the crossbar for a 5-1 lead.

The Washington bench cleared and teammates mobbed Ovechkin. He got an extended standing ovation and took a saluting skate around the rink, acknowledging the cheering crowd that included his parents. He later drew another roar while waving to fans from the bench.

"It was a special moment, in front of fans ... my teammates, my parents," Ovechkin said. "It's huge. It's pretty cool. It's a history moment."

During his 11 NHL seasons, the Russian winger has earned a spirited reputation for celebrating goals by him and his teammates. This time, the Washington players were eager to pay tribute to him.

Sunday, January 10 Scoreboard

Buffalo 4, Winnipeg 2

Washington 7, Ottawa 1

Chicago 6, Colorado 3

New Jersey 2, Minnesota 1

Detroit 2, Anaheim 1

Florida 2, Edmonton 1

Monday, January 11 Schedule (All Times Central)

Boston at NY Rangers, 6 p.m.

San Jose at Calgary, 8 p.m.

Florida at Vancouver, 9 p.m.

Detroit at Los Angeles, 9:30 p.m.