NHL: Washington 5, Atlanta 3

ATLANTA, March 21 (UPI) -- Alexander Ovechkin Friday became the first NHL player in 12 years to score 60 goals in a season and helped rally Washington to a 5-3 win over Atlanta.

Ovechkin scored twice in the contest to reach the 60-goal mark. The last players to produce that many goals were Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux (69) and Jaromir Jagr (62), who both achieved the feat during the 1995-96 season.

The only other Washington player to reach 60 goals in a season is Dennis Maruk, who did so in 1981-82. Ovechkin ran his point total for the campaign to 106.

Nicklas Backstrom also scored twice for Washington, which has won five out of six, and Cristobal Huet made 15 saves.

The Capitals trail Boston by one point in the battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta took a 3-1 lead, but the Capitals scored three times in a span of 5:02 of the third period to move in front.