TORONTO – Alexei Ponikarovsky, Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin and Carlo Colaiacovo scored in the third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Washington Capitals.

Alexander Ovechkin scored twice for the Capitals. He also had two goals in Washington’s 5-4 victory over Toronto on Sunday.

Ovechkin, the top pick in the 2004 NHL draft, leads all rookies with 12 goals. The 20-year-old Russian has five two-goal games in the first 15 games of his career.

The Maple Leafs fell behind 2-0 to the Washington for the second straight game. But Toronto didn’t falter after tying it this time, scoring three straight in less than three minutes in the third.

Ponikarovsky pushed off a defender and put a shot past goalie Olie Kolzig at 5:35 goal of the third. McCabe scored on slap shot from the point on the power play at 6:57, and Sundin skated around the net and put a wraparound shot past Kolzig at 7:36.

Brent Johnson replaced Kolzig in goal after Sundin’s goal, but didn’t fare much better.

After Ovechkin got some momentum back by scoring on the power play at 9:16 of the third, Johnson allowed Colaiacovo’s shot from the point to tip off his blocker and past him, giving Toronto a 6-3 lead with 5:57 left. It was Colaiacovo’s first NHL goal.

Ben Clymer put a weak wrist shot between Toronto goalie Ed Belfour’s legs, giving Washington a 1-0 lead at 10:37 of the first.

Ovechkin scored his 11th goal of the season by coming off the boards and putting a wrist shot past Belfour at 15:18 of the first.

Notes: Kolzig allowed five goals on 32 shots. … Sundin scored his second goal since returning from a broken orbital bone near his left eye.

AP-ES-11-08-05 2212EST

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