Caps stay hot against Trotz’s new team

NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Wilson had extra time to work on his skills while serving a suspension during the first 16 games of the season. It’s paid off in a big way for the Washington Capitals since his return.

Wilson scored twice, Braden Holtby stopped 32 shots and the Capitals beat the New York Islanders and former coach Barry Trotz 4-1 Monday night for their season-high sixth straight win.

Wilson has six goals and five assists in eight games since joining the lineup, including goals in four straight games.

“I had lots of time, worked on a little bit of everything,” he said. “I just tried to make sure I could pick up where we left off last year. We were playing some pretty good hockey at the end of last year, some pretty good chemistry going.”

Nic Dowd and Alex Ovechkin also scored for Washington, which won after giving up the first goal for the fifth time during its win streak that has catapulted the defending champions to first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Valtteri Filppula scored and Thomas Greiss finished with 20 saves for the Islanders, playing for the fourth time in six days and snapped a two-game win streak.

Trotz was facing the Capitals for first time since leading them to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title in June. Trotz also guided Washington to the Presidents’ Trophy for the league’s best record in 201516 and 2016-17 and then resigned in a contract dispute and subsequently signed with Islanders.

Trotz, Islanders assistant coach Lane Lambert and goalie coach Mitch Korn received their championship rings in the Capitals’ dressing room before the game and addressed their former players.