The Washington Capitals scored three times with the man advantage and added a short-handed goal in a 5-4 win over the visiting Leafs on Sunday night.
Rookie Alexander Ovechkin fired two power-play goals to lead Washington, whose power play was clicking at a 9.7 per cent clip entering the game, last in the 30-team league.
Bryan Muir also scored with the man advantage.
Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin, right, runs into Toronto's Alexander Khavanov during the first period. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Ovechkin, who is expected to battle Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby for top-rookie honours, leads all NHL freshmen with 10 goals. The two goals on Sunday gives the Russian 15 points in 14 games.
"When I have a chance to shoot, I like to shoot it," Ovechkin said. "I love scoring goals. But I'm trying to help the team win games. If we win and I score, I'm really happy."
Brian Willsie and Matt Pettinger, while short-handed, rounded out the scoring for the Capitals, who have won two straight games for the first time this season.
Jeff O'Neill with two, Kyle Wellwood and Bryan McCabe replied for Toronto, which has dropped three consecutive road games.
Captain Mats Sundin, who had two points on Saturday in his return from an eye injury, set up both O'Neill markers at the MCI Center.
Playing their third game in four nights, the Maple Leafs dominated play in the dying minutes but couldn't beat Washington goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who made 25 saves.
"It's a pretty unhappy outcome, and pretty dissatisfying," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "The fact is, we didn't work hard enough tonight to get any kind of result.
"When you don't execute, you pay a price, and we did."
Ovechkin's power-play goal with 4:59 left in the second period gave the Capitals the lead for good.
With Toronto down a man in the third, his shot ricocheted off a defender's stick and past Maple Leafs goalie Mikael Tellqvist.
"I'm not sure if it was us that had that bad of a game, but we were on our heels the whole game," Sundin said. "They were the better team, there's no doubt about it."
The teams will complete the home-and-home series on Tuesday at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
with files from Associated Press
