Capitals 3, Senators 2 .

OTTAWA - Mathieu Perreault scored twice, Eric Fehr had a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals ended their losing streak at eight games, beating the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Sunday night.

The Capitals scored three times in a 6:21 span early in the second to erase a 2-0 deficit. Washington, which also had two goals disallowed, had been held to 11 goals during its 0-6-2 skid.

Ryan Shannon and Chris Kelly scored in the first for Ottawa, which hadn't lost through regulation in its previous four games (2-0-2).

"We got the start we wanted, they got some good breaks early in the second and that's five minutes we would like to have back, but that's the way it goes," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson said.

Perreault, who was sick and didn't play Saturday night in a loss in Boston, gave Washington its first lead on a power play 6:55 into the second for his second goal of the middle period.

He scored his first goal of the game 34 seconds into the second to draw the Capitals to 2-1. Fehr, who assisted on Perreault's second goal, tied it at 2 with his fifth goal at 1:20 after having another waved off when time expired at the end of the first.

Michal Neuvirth stopped 24 shots for Washington, which also had an apparent goal by Alex Ovechkin disallowed later in the second. Brian Elliott made 31 saves for Ottawa.

Ovechkin saw his goal drought extended to six games when a video review wiped out his tally 9:14 into the second, which would have put Washington up by two.

Elliott stuck out his left pad to stop Ovechkin's drive with just under four minutes remaining. Ovechkin has scored just once in his last seven games, and twice in 17.

Washington struck for two quick goals 46 seconds apart early in the second, taking advantage of a pair of Ottawa turnovers to tie it at 2-2.

Former Capitals defenceman Sergei Gonchar turned over the puck at the Capitals' blue line and Brooks Laich took off on a 3-on-1. Perreault tapped home Mike Knuble's rebound for his third goal.

Ovechkin intercepted veteran Ottawa blueliner Chris Phillips' pass along the boards behind the net moments later and fed the puck to Fehr, who fired it past Elliott to tie it at 2-2.

Perreault gave Washington the lead on a power play at 6:55 with his fourth goal, his second of the period.

Ovechkin appeared to have scored when a rebound of Laich's tight-angle shot from the right corner went in off his left leg. Referee Don VanMassenhoven signaled a goal but his on-ice ruling was overturned by a video review, which showed Ovechkin turned his left skate out as he drove toward the net.

Fehr just missed scoring at the end of the first period. His shot got past Elliott but the tally was waved off immediately by VanMassenhoven. A video review confirmed that time expired before the puck went in.

Shannon put a wrist shot past Neuvirth for his fourth goal 7:11 in.

Kelly made it 2-0 with his eighth goal at 13:55, snapping a shot past Neuvirth from the edge of the crease.

NOTES: Capitals LW Alexander Semin missed his third game in a row because of a lower-body injury. Semin leads Washington with 18 goals in 32 games, though he had not scored in seven games prior to his injury ... The Senators are in Nashville on Thursday night to face the Predators (8 p.m., Sportsnet Sens, Team 1200), their final game before the two-day NHL Christmas break.