Maple Leafs down Capitals
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}James van Riemsdyk netted two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Washington Capitals, 3-2, at Verizon Center.
Korbinian Holzer also scored, while Ben Scrivens stopped 24 shots for Toronto, which snapped a two-game slide.
Marcus Johansson and Mike Ribeiro lit the lamp for the Capitals, who have lost two straight and four of their last five.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Michal Neuvirth made 18 saves in defeat.
"We have got to find a way to win. That's all that matters. How we do it doesn't really matter," said Johansson.
Toronto struck first 10:00 into the first period thanks to some careless play by the Capitals, as Neuvirth left a puck behind the net for defenseman Tom Poti, but van Riemsdyk came racing down the ice and grabbed it first.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Van Riemsdyk then wrapped a quick shot around the left side of the net before Neuvirth could get back into position for the 1-0 lead.
The Maple Leafs added to their advantage less than three minutes later when a defensive zone turnover by Washington led to van Riemsdyk batting his own rebound in from the right side of the net.
"I got some lucky bounces and I was able to put them in," van Riemsdyk said about his goals.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Capitals got a goal back with 2:56 left in the first period while on the power play after Tomas Kundratek sent a pass from the left circle down to Johansson at the right of the net, where he kicked the puck to his stick before lifting a shot over the glove of Scrivens to make it a 2-1 game heading into the second period.
Toronto, however, regained its two-goal lead at the 10:34 mark of the middle stanza with Holzer's snap shot from the right point that skipped through the legs of Neuvirth.
Ribeiro snuck a wrister over Scrivens' shoulder from the right circle while on the power play 6:47 into the third period to bring Washington back within 3-2, but the Capitals could not net the equalizer as Scrivens made 10 saves in the third period to hang on.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Kundratek's assist on Johansson's goal was his first career point ... Holzer collected his first career goal ... Toronto improved to 4-1-0 on the road this season ... Washington fell to 2-4-0 at home ... Washington's Nicklas Backstrom had an assist and has now recorded a point in five straight games. He has a goal and five assists in that span.