Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored the winning goal with less than four minutes left in regulation of a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night at Capital One Arena. The Capitals erased a two-goal deficit with a three-goal third period in their first multi-goal comeback of the 2025-2026 season. Washington improves to 14-9-2 with the win. Toronto falls to 10-11-3 with regulation losses, including a disappointing 2-7-0 road record in 2025.
Summary of the game
Anthony Beauvillier slipped a puck past Joseph Woll just 16 seconds into the game. But the goal was wiped off the board due to an early whistle when the referee blew the play dead before the crowd in downtown DC could truly erupt into chaos. The Maple Leafs responded on the lucky break when Morgan Rielly scored three minutes later to give Toronto a 1-0 lead. The visiting Maple Leafs went into the first intermission with a lead, despite a double shot from the home Capitals (10-5).
Matthew Knies beat Logan Thompson with a snap and scored his sixth goal of the season early in the second period, extending the Maple Leafs’ lead to 2-0. The Capitals fought back to cut that lead in half on Connor McMichael’s backhand goal at 13:18 of the middle frame for a 2-1 game. Once again, Toronto had the lead despite trailing in shots, 23-10, after two periods.
Beauvillier tied the game, 2-2, in a snap at 13:16 of the third period as he was officially credited with his fifth of the season. Chychrun hit a puck over Woll’s shoulder less than three minutes later to give Washington a late 3-2 lead on a play set up by a smooth cross-ice pass from Ryan Leonard. Tom Wilson sealed the victory into the empty net for a 4-2 win at Washington, his team-leading 13th goal of the season.
With his game-winning goal, Chychrun becomes the second Washington defenseman to score in five straight games, joining Mike Green from the 2008-09 season. The 27-year-old extends his point streak to 10 games, matching the Capitals’ longest streak by a Washington defenseman, tied twice in franchise history by Al Iafrate during the 1992-93 season and Robert Picard in the 1978-79 campaign.
Next
After the loss, Toronto will leave Washington, DC for a quick trip north to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Maple Leafs will have a quick turnaround with a Saturday night game against the Pittsburgh Penguins PPG Paints Arena tomorrow night. Washington will also travel north for its next game, a Saturday night matchup against the New York Islanders UBS Arena. It will be the first of a four-game road trip for the Capitals, taking them west after their date on Long Island.
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