Capitals 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO)
WASHINGTON -- Nicklas Backstrom tied the score with less than one second left in regulation, Alex Ovechkin scored the only goal in the shootout and the Washington Capitals rallied to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday night.
The first three shooters for each team missed before Ovechkin took his time and shot past Toronto goalie James Reimer. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby then stopped center Nazem Kadri to seal the win.
Backstrom forced overtime when he scored with eight-tenths of a second left in regulation off a pass from right winger Justin Williams.
Toronto took a 2-1 lead midway through the third when right winger Joffrey Lopul, stationed in the slot, redirected a pass from defenseman Morgan Reilly. Lopul's attempt hit the post, but James Van Riemsdyk banged home the rebound for his fifth goal of the season.
Ovechkin's apparent equalizer on a backhander in front with 2:39 left was overturned when goaltender interference was called after a coach's challenge by Toronto's Mike Babcock.
The goal would have given Ovechkin, who scored his eighth goal of the season in the second period, 484 career goals and put him ahead of Sergei Fedorov (483 career goals) for first place among Russian-born NHL players.
Center Daniel Winnick also scored for Toronto and Reilly had two assists. Reimer finished with 30 saves.
Holtby stopped 23 shots for Washington, which is 10-3-0 for the first time since winning 11 of 14 to begin the 1991-92 season.
Toronto (2-8-4) is 1-6-3 in its last 10 games.
Ovechkin tied Fedorov -- and the Maple Leafs -- when he scored on a power play at 4:51 of the second period.
Center Evgeny Kuznetsov sent a pass from behind the end line though the slot for Ovechkin. The puck deflected off a Toronto player, but Ovechkin flipped the loose disc past Reimer for his first power play goal of the season.
Winnik had given Toronto a 1-0 lead just 2:36 in when he fired a wrist shot from the right circle over Holtby's shoulder for his second goal of the season.
Just minutes later, Winnik left the game with a lower-body injury after falling along the boards in the offensive zone.
Toronto center Nazem Kadri nearly made it 2-0 midway through the period when he hit the post on a partial breakaway while Washington was making a change.
NOTES: Maple Leafs G Jonathan Bernier (lower body) missed his fourth game Saturday. ... Toronto began the night 0-6-2 when trailing after two periods. ... Washington came in having earned a point in 19 straight games (16-0-3) against Atlantic Division foes. ... Washington RW Andre Burakovsky was part of an all-Swedish second line with C Nicklas Backstrom and LW Marcus Johansson. RW Justin Williams moved down to the third line with C Jay Beagle and LW Jason Chimera. ... D Frank Corrado, C Peter Holland and D Martin Marincin were scratched for Toronto. ... Washington scratches included D Taylor Chorney, C Chandler Stephenson and RW Stanislav Galiev.