WASHINGTON – Brooks Laich had two goals and assisted on two others to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

It was the first two-goal and four-point game for Laich, and gave Washington its first win in four games.

Laich’s sterling performance came just hours after the Capitals acquired three players at the trading deadline in an attempt to snatch a playoff spot.

Minnesota, which made news by acquiring left wing Chris Simon from the New York Islanders, lost its fourth straight as it continues its tumble in the Western Conference.

The Capitals’ new additions – veteran center Victor Fedorov, goalie Cristobal Huet and left wing Matt Cooke, picked up in three separate deals – weren’t on hand, but weren’t needed.

Washington’s shooting star wasn’t Alex Ovechkin, who hasn’t scored in in six games – tied for the longest drought in his career. Nor was it Alexander Semin, who had scored in five straight. It was Laich, who scored the first goal and the last. He has 13 goals this season, and four in his last four games.

Laich’s first came when he took a long pass from Tomas Fleischmann and beat Nicklas Backstrom on a breakaway at 2:41.

Halfway through the first period, Shaone Morrisonn scored his first goal in nearly a year when he slapped a shot from left point past a screened Backstrom for a 2-0 lead.

Washington goalie Olie Kolzig, facing a challenge for his job with Huet’s arrival, stopped the first 22 Minnesota shots, but the Wild scored on the 23rd. Brank Radivojevic tipped in Eric Belanger’s shot at 13:10 of the second period to cut the Capitals lead to 2-1.

Radivojevic had to be helped off the ice with a cut on his nose in the first period, but quickly returned, and scored for the first time since Dec. 11.

Kolzig stopped 34 shots to earn his 298th NHL win.

Less than three minutes later, Eric Fehr, who missed nearly 10 months with a back injury scored, from just to the right of Backstrom. It was Fehr’s first goal since Feb. 6, 2007, and made it 3-1.

Laich’s second goal came late in the second period and gave the Capitals a 4-1 lead.

Notes: Both teams had players scratched with the flu: the Capitals’ Viktor Kozlov and the Wild’s Mark Parrish. … Although listed as a scratch, Simon won’t report to Minnesota until Wednesday in Tampa Bay. … Washington recalled LW Christopher Bourque from Hershey for the game. … The Wild placed RW Matt Foy on injured reserve. … Minnesota won the previous four games between the teams.

AP-ES-02-26-08 2145EST