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Early first-period outburst leads Capitals to rout of Maple Leafs

Oct 30, 2007 - 3:27 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Alex Ovechkin and Michael Nylander led a rare offensive outburst for the Washington Capitals.

Ovechkin had two goals and Nylander tallied three assists as the Capitals scored four first period goals en route to a 7-1 thrashing of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre.

Matt Bradley added a goal and two assists as five different players scored their first tally of the season for the Capitals, who scored more than three goals for just the second time this season.

"We've got a lot of guys in slumps who hadn't had a goal yet this year and obviously that's frustrating," Bradley said. "The nets feel a little smaller and tonight they felt bigger, it's only one win but it feels good."

The win also snapped a three-game road losing streak for the Capitals, who won their fifth game in the month of October for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

Washington scored the game's first goal 3:19 into the game on Boyd Gordon's first tally of the season, and after Alexei Ponikarovsky tied the game 31 seconds later, the Capitals answered with six unanswered goals.

"We've been talking that we need more secondary scoring, everybody contributed, a great team effort," Gordon said

Matt Pettinger scored his first of the year on the power play at the 5:26 mark of the first and Ovechkin gave the Capitals a two-goal lead on a wrist shot from the left circle at 11:57 of the opening period.

"All four lines played well, everybody scores and our goalie played well," Ovechkin said. "We deserved the win, we played well tonight."

Jeff Schultz scored his first of the season just two minutes after the Ovechkin tally, ringing a wrist shot from the slot over Toronto netminder Vesa Toskala's glove that hit off the post and went in with 6:04 remaining.

The goal chased Toskala, who surrendered four goals on Washington's first 13 shots after allowing three tallies in his last two appearances.

"They really had a strong start, maybe even shocked us at the beginning with their speed up front," Toronto defenseman Andy Wozniewski said.

Bradley scored his first of the season with a shorthanded goal just under nine minutes into the second period, and Ovechkin netted his second of the night on the power play with a one-timer from the left point to give the Capitals a 6-1 lead at the 11:09 mark of the second.

Brian Sutherby tallied his first of the year at 6:17 of the third to cap the scoring.

After allowing a goal on the first shot he faced, Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig finished with 32 saves.

"Kolzig made a really big save in the second period with the game on the line that allowed us to take control," Washington coach Glen Hanlon said.

Andrew Raycroft made 14 saves on 17 shots for the Maple Leafs, who allowed at least five goals for the sixth time this season.

"We've got to be better at home," Toronto coach Paul Maurice said. "A .500 record doesn't get it done so we've got to play better at home."