Chychrun scores in 5th straight, lifts Capitals past Maple Leafs

WASHINGTON -- Jakob Chychrun extended his goal streak to five games when he scored the go-ahead goal at 16:04 of the third period, and the Washington Capitals rallied for a 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena on Friday.

Chychrun made it 3-2 when he scored on a one-timer from the right circle off a cross-ice pass from Ryan Leonard for his sixth goal in the past five games. Tom Wilson scored into an empty net with two seconds left for the 4-2 final.

“I think throughout the game we had a lot of good shifts in the O-zone where we were hemming them in and taking advantage of their tired guys,” Chychrun said. “And that was just a heck of a play by ‘Lenny’ to find me through the seam.”

Chychrun has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) during a 10-game point streak and is tied for the longest point streak by a defenseman in Capitals history.

“He’s playing so well, but I don’t think it really surprises any of us,” Wilson said. “He’s got so much raw talent and the ability to kind of do whatever he wants. So, when he’s on his game, it’s dangerous and we’re more than happy to have him on our side.”

Wilson and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (14-9-2), who have won three in a row and six of seven. Logan Thompson made 20 saves.

“I think we generated a lot and it’s important to not get frustrated when goals aren’t going in,” Chychrun said. “If you’re generating chances and getting looks, I think that’s most important. When the process is well, [coach Spencer Carbery] talks about it all the time, and ours was well, and we get rewarded for it later on in the game.”

Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies scored for the Maple Leafs (10-11-3), who have lost three of four. Joseph Woll made 30 saves.

The Maple Leafs played without forward William Nylander, their leading scorer, who was scratched with an illness.

“I think we had periods where we did a good job, but too many turnovers, too many chances against,” Rielly said. “We did an OK job hanging in there but ultimately obviously I think we gave up too much.”

Rielly gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 3:07 of the first period when he received a pass from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and scored on a snap shot from the outer edge of the left circle.

Knies made it 2-0 at 2:49 of the second period. After Thompson made a save against Auston Matthews on a 2-on-1 rush, Matthews got to the puck in the right corner and passed to Knies, who beat Thompson with a snap shot from the slot.

“We did a good job getting the lead,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “We had our looks too, just didn’t capitalize on some of them.”

McMichael pulled the Capitals within 2-1 at 13:18, lifting a backhand shot in after Woll made a save on Aliaksei Protas.

Thompson made a glove save against John Tavares on a breakaway at 8:34 of the third period.

Anthony Beauvillier then tied it 2-2 at 13:16 when he scored from the right post off a pass across the crease from Alex Ovechkin.

“I thought we just got caught a little bit sometimes maybe puck-watching and they’ve got some high-end skill, and they made some plays,” said Matthews, the Toronto captain. “It’s tough because you feel the game’s right there. They tie it up, [we] try to get it to overtime, and you have a little breakdown.”

NOTES: Chychrun tied Al Iafrate (10 games in 1992-93) and Robert Picard (10 games in 1978-79) for the longest point streak by a defenseman in Capitals history. … Washington is 13-1-1 this season when Ovechkin gets a point. … Matthews (assist) recorded his 742nd career point and passed Mitch Marner for fifth place on Toronto’s all-time list. … Ekman-Larsson extended his point streak to eight games (eight points; two goals, six assists).