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Capitals win 8th straight, enjoy success outside Southeast with 5-1 victory over Maple Leafs

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Toronto Maple Leafs center Jay McClement (11) and Washington Capitals left wing Jason Chimera (25) fight in the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 16, 2013 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 28th goal, and the Washington Capitals enjoyed a rare feeling of dominance outside their division Tuesday night, winning their eighth straight with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jack Hillen, Martin Erat, Troy Brouwer and Marcus Johansson also scored, and Braden Holtby made 29 saves for the Southeast Division-leading Capitals.

The Capitals have moved into playoff position by feasting on the weak Southeast, going 14-3 within the division, but they entered Tuesday’s game just 9-14-2 against the rest of the Eastern Conference. All but two of those nine wins were by one goal.

So it was a major morale boost that they were able to manhandle Toronto, which is closing in on the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2004.

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Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

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