Capitals 5, Blue Jackets 3: Captain Alex Ovechkin registered his 12th two-goal performance of the season - and second in two games - to increase his league-leading total to 43 as visiting Washington posted its second straight win after a three-game slide.

Eric Fehr, Tom Wilson and Marcus Johansson also scored for the Capitals, who completed the season series with a 3-1-1 record. Nicklas Backstrom and Jason Chimera each notched two assists while Braden Holtby made 27 saves in his NHL-high 56th start as Washington climbed within two points of third-place Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division.

Scott Hartnell recorded two goals and an assist while defenseman David Savard also tallied for the Blue Jackets, who suffered their seventh consecutive loss. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 28 shots in a losing effort.

Ovechkin opened the scoring 3:37 into the contest by deflecting defenseman Brooks Orpik's one-timer from the left point past Bobrovsky. Fehr doubled the lead with 3:40 left in the first period, burying the rebound of blue-liner Tim Gleason's one-timer from the left point, before Savard halved the deficit with a blast from the top of the right faceoff circle at 1:51 of the second.

Wilson knocked in a rebound on the doorstep 48 seconds later to restore Washington's two-goal advantage, but Hartnell answered with a deflection at 15:03 after failing to convert a penalty shot earlier in the session. Ovechkin made it 4-2 with his patented one-timer from the left circle during a power play 3:17 into the third before Hartnell responded with his own man-advantage tally less than six minutes later to get Columbus back within one.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ovechkin, who now has 97 career multi-goal performances, raised his league-leading power-play goal total to 19. ... Hartnell's two-goal effort was his fourth of the season. ... Hartnell was awarded the penalty shot after being tripped up from behind by Washington D Mike Green on a breakaway at 8:47 of the second period, but Holtby denied him by getting his glove on the shot. ... Blue Jackets RW David Clarkson received a 10-minute misconduct for his involvement in an altercation late in the middle period but apparently suffered an undisclosed injury during the fracas and did not return. ... LW Curtis Glencross made his debut for the Capitals after being acquired from Calgary on Sunday while D Justin Falk played his first game with Columbus since coming over from Minnesota on Monday.