NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Nashville Predators are focused on

the playoffs again after holding a players-only meeting earlier

this week.

Scott Hartnell had two goals and an assist, and the Predators

snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the

Washington Capitals on Friday night.

"A lot of guys were still on their break," Hartnell said. "We

needed a strong effort after Wednesday night's game."

The Predators lost 5-2 in Chicago on Wednesday, and coach Barry

Trotz called it one of the worst efforts of the season.

"I never doubt our guys care a lot about what they're doing,"

Trotz said. "I just said, 'Let's not play uptight, let's play our

game and the rest will take care of itself."

Vladimir Orszagh, Wyatt Smith and Marek Zidlicky added goals for

the Predators, and Kimmo Timonen and Martin Erat each had two

assists.

Zidlicky had a power-play goal in the second period when he put

a rebound of his own shot around Maxime Ouellet's left pad.

Hartnell added a goal with 10.9 seconds left in the period on a

three-on-two break, giving Nashville a commanding 4-1 lead.

"I think when you're playing well and you're confident and

you've got some wins under your belt those things won't break a

hockey team's spirit," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "When

you're sitting where we are in the standings, these are the things

sometimes that are hard to overcome."

Nashville could have easily had another goal earlier in the

second, but Ouellet made the best of his 31 saves by diving across

the crease to stop Scott Walker's shot.

"I tried to focus on the first save and was trying to recover

to make the second save if I had to, but they were so quick to jump

on those rebounds," Ouellet said.

Nashville came out determined in the first period, scoring four

minutes in when Hartnell poked Andreas Johansson's shot through the

legs of Ouellet on its only man advantage in the period.

With 13:09 left in the first, the Predators scored again on

Orszagh's rebound of a shot by Erat. His assist gave him a career

high for points in a season with 34. He added another assist in the

second, and Smith scored his goal early in the third.

Washington had plenty of chances, but went 0-for-6 on the power

play.

"I thought they did a real excellent job -- both the power play

and the penalty kill," Trotz said. "They were 0-for-6 and we were

2-for-5, and if you can be that every night, it's a big

advantage."

The Capitals' Mike Grier scored midway through the first period,

and Peter Bondra finished the scoring with his 20th goal late in

the third. Robert Lang had an assist, giving him 40 to go with his

26 goals this season.

Neither team started its top goaltender. Nashville's Tomas

Vokoun has given up three or more goals in six of his last seven

starts. That's given more minutes to backup Chris Mason, who

stopped 17 shots in his ninth appearance in the last 18 games.

Ouellet, a rookie, was in net for the sixth time this season as

Olaf Kolzig's backup.Game notes
Trotz spent five seasons as head coach of the Capitals' AHL

affiliate before being named Nashville's coach. He has the longest

tenure of any expansion team coach, now at 466 games. ... Erat has

five assists in his last three games. ... The Predators tied a

franchise record with their 18th win at home. Only the Detroit Red

Wings (43) and Ottawa Senators (43) have earned more points at home

than Nashville's 41. ... The Capitals have been outshot in 22 of

their last 25 games. ... Lang has a point in 45 of 57 games.