WASHINGTON - Erik Cole had three goals, Gilbert Brule added a goal and an assist, and the Edmonton Oilers beat Washington 5-2 Tuesday night, handing the Capitals their third consecutive loss.

Dwayne Roloson made 34 saves and Steve MacIntyre scored his first NHL goal for the Oilers, who won their second straight game. It was Edmonton's first victory on the road against the Capitals since Jan. 26, 1997 at USAirways Arena in Landover, Md.

Mike Green had a goal and an assist and Tomas Fleischmann also scored for Washington, which lost a second straight home game for the first time this season and is now 18-3-1 at Verizon Center. The three straight losses match a season high.

The Capitals squandered a 19-9 edge in shots in the opening period, as MacIntyre and Cole tallied 1:11 apart for a 2-0 Edmonton lead.

MacIntyre one-timed a short pass from centre point at 12:59 and, with the Capitals' Alexander Semin off for hooking, Cole poked in the rebound of Sheldon Souray's long drive for his ninth goal.

Brule made it 3-0 2:15 into the second period, splitting two defencemen between the circles and knocking a right-wing feed from Kyle Brodziak past Jose Theodore.

The Capitals finally got on the board thanks to a strong effort by Fleischmann, who netted his career-high 14th goal. Fleischmann wove through four defenders in the Oilers zone before flicking the puck over Roloson at 7:40.

Cole restored the three-goal cushion with 16:41 left, tipping Brodzniak's sweeping a low shot past Theodore's left leg from the slot.

A boarding call against Brule set up Green's power-play goal with 3:09 remaining.

Theodore was pulled with 2:16 to go, and Cole got an empty-net goal with 58 seconds left.

Notes: D John Erskine returned to the Capitals lineup after missing 22 games with a concussion. ... The Oilers had lost six straight in Washington. ... The Capitals scratched C Boyd Gordon (back spasms). ... About 150 Canadian military members and their families attended the game. ... Green's assist on Fleischmann's goal was his 100th NHL point. ... Capitals rookie D Karl Alzner, playing in his 22nd career game, finally drew his first penalty, a minor for delay of the game in the second period.