Sabres defense struggles again

WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) - Troy Brouwer had a goal and an assist in the second period of the Washington Capitals' 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.

Jason Chimera added his first regular-season goal in nearly a year for the Capitals (12-15-1), who broke out of an offensive slump in which they had scored only seven times in five games — losing four.

Alex Ovechkin got the Capitals going with his 350th NHL goal, scored only 19 seconds in, and Marcus Johansson and Matthieu Perrault also had a goal and an assist each as Washington beat Buffalo at home for the seventh time in eight games.

Cody Hodgson scored twice for the Sabres (10-15-4), who have lost five straight road games and have won just once in seven games overall.

Brian Flynn also scored for Buffalo, which will play four of its next five on the road. The Sabres outshot the Capitals 30-25.

Washington busted out of its scoring slump with three goals during a 5:22 stretch of the second period.

Brouwer got it started on the Capitals' first power play when he took Mike Ribeiro's feed and beat goalie Ryan Miller to the top left corner.

Four minutes later, Brouwer found Chimera from behind the net for Chimera's first regular-season goal since April 2, 2012.

Less than a minute after that, Johansson squeezed a shot out of a goal-mouth scrap to make it 4-1 at 10:28.

Flynn got Buffalo back within two goals at 13:27 off a feed from Marcus Foligno.

Hodgson scored a power-play goal early in the third to make it 4-3 after Jordan Leopold's effort from the left caromed to him off the pads of goalie Braden Holtby.

It was Buffalo's first power-play goal in four games.

Washington killed a penalty later in the period, and just after it ended, Holtby made a full stretch to deny a clear look from Drew Safford.

Perrault scored on the Capitals' next trip into the offensive zone to seal the win with just under five minutes to play.

The Sabres actually outshot the Capitals 17-10 in the second period, and Hodgson scored their first goal just 12 seconds into it when he sneaked a shot past Holtby.

That got the Sabres even. Ovechkin had staked the Capitals to their quick lead in the opening seconds off a faceoff feed from Nicklas Backstrom.

Ovechkin, who leads the Capitals with 11 goals, has scored six times in seven games against the Sabres. Backstrom finished with two assists.

NOTES: A brief lighting malfunction delayed the start of the third period for about six minutes. ... Buffalo recalled D Mark Pysyk from AHL Rochester. D Andrej Sekera left Saturday's game because of an injury in the third period. . Washington will begin a four-game, six-day trip Tuesday at Pittsburgh. . Sabres LW Thomas Vanek stretched his point streak to nine games with an assist during the first period. . The Capitals recognized U.S. Olympic swimming gold medalist and area native Katie Ledecky, who attended the game to celebrate her 16th birthday.