Capitals 4, Maple Leafs 2

Right winger Tom Wilson, left winger Marcus Johansson and right winger Justin Williams also scored for Washington.

With the loss and a win by Colorado over Winnipeg, the Leafs have fallen to 28th place in the National Hockey League standings, just one point ahead of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier struggled mightily in his first start in two weeks, allowing four goals on just a dozen shots and drawing rather audible negative responses from the ACC patrons and tempting a frustrated Babcock to consider pulling the veteran netminder in favor of rookie Garret Sparks.

The Capitals netted three times in the second period in a game during which Jason Chimera contributed a goal and an assist. Washington looked flat early in the second game of a back-to-back but the Capitals upped their energy in the second period. They made a number of sloppy passes and Toronto took advantage to pull even.

Toronto outshot Washington 16-4 in the opening stanza. Reimer is 7-3-4 with a 2.01 goals-against average and. Komarov’s eighth goal of the season came nine seconds after Capitals defenseman John Carlson was assessed an interference penalty.

Washington answered with a power-play goal of its own at 11:08 after a Nazem Kadri high-sticking penalty.

The Maple Leafs were well rested and attempted to jump on the tired Eastern Conference power playing their second of back-to-back games, but Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 15 first period shots and kept his club on an even footing with Toronto.

The Air Canada Centre crowd let out a Bronx cheer after Bernier’s next save. Toronto hit the post twice on a power play midway through the frame but couldn’t cut into the lead. The Capitals have outscored the Maple Leafs 12-4 in those matchups.

Reimer, who was injured last Tuesday at practice, was back on the ice Friday but didn’t participate in the game-day skate on Saturday. The Maple Leafs, who have been idle since Monday, had won five of six before dropping both ends of a home-and-home with the Boston Bruins.

Three of those 19 wins over Atlantic clubs have come against Toronto, including 3-2 in a shootout November 7 after Nicklas Backstrom tied the game with 0.8 seconds left in regulation.

Notes: Holland has four goals on the season while Chimera hiked his total to seven….

Sparks was Toronto’s seventh round pick in 2011. 936 save percentage this season….