WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Peter Bondra and Jaromir Jagr each scored twice Saturday night as the Washington Capitals defeated the Atlanta Thrashers, 5-2, to reach the breakeven point for the first time since Oct. 26.
Washington is 8-3-3 since falling a season-worst five games under .500 at 6-11-2 on Nov. 20 and has closed within five points of first-place Carolina in the Southeast Division.
Bondra, who earlier this season passed Mike Gartner to become Washington's all-time leader in goals, ended a four-game drought to reach the 20-goal plateau for the 11th straight season.
Bondra was lucky on his first goal as Dmitri Khristich's centering pass glanced off his leg and trickled across the goal line to give the Capitals a 3-2 lead 8:01 into the second period.
It was the first goal for Bondra since he tallied twice to reach the 400-goal mark in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Dec. 4.
Jagr's power-play goal made it 4-2 just over six minutes into the third period before Bondra completed the scoring with 7 1/2 minutes left.
Craig Billington recorded 23 saves for the Capitals in his first appearance since Nov. 27. Olaf Kolzig sat out with a sprained ankle after starting Washington's previous eight contests. He suffered the injury in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.
The loss extended the Thrashers' winless streak to seven games (0-5-2). Patrik Stefan tallied both goals for Atlanta, which has a league-low 18 points.
After Jagr and Stefan traded goals, Joe Reekie scored his first of the season to give Washington a 2-1 lead with 36 seconds left in the opening period. Stefan pulled Atlanta even again 3:53 into the second.
