NHL: Capitals top Maple Leafs for 8th straight win

Washington • Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 28th goal, and the Washington Capitals enjoyed a rare feeling of dominance outside their division Tuesday night, winning their eighth straight with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jack Hillen, Martin Erat, Troy Brouwer and Marcus Johansson also scored, and Braden Holtby made 29 saves for the Southeast Division-leading Capitals.

The Capitals have moved into playoff position by feasting on the weak Southeast, going 14-3 within the division, but they entered Tuesday's game just 9-14-2 against the rest of the Eastern Conference. All but two of those nine wins were by one goal.

So it was a major morale boost that they were able to manhandle Toronto, which is closing in on the franchise's first playoff berth since 2004.

The Maple Leafs had won four of five, but they looked sluggish one night after they beat the New Jersey Devils 2-0 at home on Monday. Toronto was down 4-0 to the Capitals before Mikhail Grabovski scored in the third period. EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

y-Pttsbrgh 42 32 10 0 64 141 102

Islanders 43 22 16 5 49 124 124

Rangers 42 21 17 4 46 102 100

Philly 43 19 21 3 41 119 131

New Jersey 42 15 17 10 40 96 115

Northeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

x-Montreal 42 26 11 5 57 131 107

Boston 41 26 11 4 56 116 91

Toronto 43 24 14 5 53 131 118

Ottawa 42 22 14 6 50 104 91

Buffalo 43 18 19 6 42 111 128

Southeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Wash. 43 24 17 2 50 134 119

Winnipeg 43 22 19 2 46 113 126

Tampa Bay 43 17 22 4 38 136 135

Carolina 42 17 23 2 36 109 134

Florida 42 13 23 6 32 101 147

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

y-Chicago 42 33 5 4 70 139 87

St. Louis 42 24 16 2 50 112 105

Detroit 42 20 15 7 47 106 107

Columbus 43 20 16 7 47 106 110

Nashville 44 15 21 8 38 100 123

Northwest Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Vancouver 43 24 12 7 55 118 104

Minnesota 43 24 16 3 51 114 109

Edmonton 42 16 19 7 39 106 120

Calgary 42 16 22 4 36 113 145

Colorado 43 14 22 7 35 103 135

Pacific Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

x-Anaheim 42 27 10 5 59 125 105

L.A. 43 24 14 5 53 122 107

San Jose 43 23 13 7 53 109 104

Dallas 42 21 18 3 45 118 126

Phoenix 42 18 17 7 43 110 114

x-clinched playoff berthy-clinched division

Tuesday's games

Winnipeg 4, Tampa Bay 3, SO

St. Louis 2, Vancouver 1, SO

N.Y. Islanders 5, Florida 2

Washington 5, Toronto 1

Ottawa 3, Carolina 2

Philadelphia 4, N.Y. Rangers 2

Minnesota 5, Edmonton 3

San Jose 3, Los Angeles 2, SO

Wednesday's games

Montreal at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.

Buffalo at Boston, 5:30 p.m.

Detroit at Calgary, 7:30 p.m.

Columbus at Anaheim, 8 p.m.