Edmonton Oilers right wing Teddy Purcell (16) and Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner (27) battle for the puck in the second period at Verizon Center. The Oilers won 5-4 in a shootout.Geoff Burke
Teddy Purcell scored the decisive goal in a shootout after Edmonton rallied from a two-goal deficit late in regulation, and the Oilers ended Washington's seven-game home winning streak with a 5-4 victory Tuesday night.
Purcell beat Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby in the fourth round of the shootout after Viktor Fasth stopped Eric Fehr.
The victory was the 12th in 47 games for Edmonton and only the fourth on the road.
Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the opening 14 minutes for the Capitals, who held leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 before the Oilers made one final push during the final five minutes of regulation.
Purcell scored at 15:49 to make it 4-3, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied it with a wrist shot at 18:53 after Fasth vacated the net for an extra skater.
Derek Roy and Nikita Nikitin also scored in regulation for Edmonton.
Despite the loss, Washington headed into the All-Star break with at least a point in 19 of its last 22 games.
Ovechkin has five goals in his last three games and 27 for the season. It was his seventh multi-goal game of the season and 92nd of his career, one short of the franchise record held by Peter Bondra.
Jay Beagle and Nicklas Backstrom also had goals for the Capitals, who have lost three straight.
Ovechkin put Washington up 1-0 at 1:48 of the first period, firing a slap shot over Fasth's left shoulder during a delayed penalty.
Ovechkin scored again at 13:58 following an interference call on Edmonton's Jeff Petry. The slap shot, fired from the left circle, smashed the goalie camera that hangs from the back of the net.
Held to one shot on goal over the first 14 minutes, the Oilers closed to 2-1 when Roy scored at 14:51.
Beagle restored the two-goal cushion at 17:34 when he deflected a shot by John Carlson into the net. It was Beagle's seventh goal of the season, a new career high.
Nikitin got a power-play goal at 19:56 of the second period, firing a lengthy slap shot just three seconds after Matt Niskanen was sent to the penalty box for kneeing Roy.
Backstrom made it 4-2 at 6:38 of the third period, deflecting a shot by Carlson past Fasth.
The lead wouldn't last.
Notes: Edmonton swept the season series, 2-0, with its first win in Washington since 2009. ... Carlson has 21 points in his last 25 games.