WASHINGTON – Playing with a sense of urgency usually attached to a playoff game, the Washington Capitals needed only 13 seconds to take the lead in their first-place showdown with the Florida Panthers.

Thanks to a strong goaltending performance by Tomas Vokoun, that was all the offense Washington needed in a 4-0 victory Tuesday night.

Mathieu Perreault scored shortly after the opening faceoff and Vokoun stopped 42 shots in his fourth shutout of the season, the second against Florida. Alex Ovechkin scored twice for the Capitals, who supplanted Florida atop the Southeast Division.

Jason Chimera contributed a goal and an assist for Washington, which has 60 points. Florida is at 59 with a game in hand.

“We knew what was on the line tonight,” Capitals coach Dale Hunter said. “These are four-point games, playoff games, and we’re battling with Florida.”

Winning the Southeast title is imperative to both teams, because the runner-up may not end up among the eight Eastern Conference teams that qualify for the playoffs.

With the victory, the Capitals jumped from ninth place to the third seed. And now Florida is ninth, on the outside looking in.

DEVILS 1, RANGERS 0: In New York, Martin Brodeur stopped 30 shots for his first shutout of the season and the record 117th of his NHL career, and New Jersey beat Eastern Conference-leading New York for its fifth consecutive win.

BLUE JACKETS 3, WILD 1: In Columbus, Ohio, rookie defenseman David Savard scored his first career goal and added an assist to lift Columbus past Minnesota and give coach Todd Richards a win in his first game against his former team.

KINGS 3, LIGHTNING 1: In Tampa, Fla., Kyle Clifford and Dustin Penner had second-period goals to lead Los Angeles past Tampa Bay.

ISLANDERS 1, FLYERS 0, SO: In Philadelphia, Evgeni Nabokov made 45 saves and Frans Nielsen and John Tavares scored on Ilya Bryzgalov in a shootout, helping New York beat Philadelphia.

CANADIENS 3, PENGUINS 2, SO: In Montreal, Tomas Plekanec scored on Montreal’s eighth attempt in the shootout to lead the Canadiens past Pittsburgh.

Carey Price made 32 saves during regulation and then stopped six of eight in the tiebreaker.

BLUES 3, SENATORS 1: In Ottawa, David Perron scored twice and Brian Elliott made 28 saves in his regular-season return to Ottawa and St. Louis handed the Senators their seventh straight loss.

CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 3, SO: In Nashville, Tenn., Alex Edler scored in the sixth round of a shootout, and Vancouver beat Nashville.

COYOTES 4, STARS 1: In Dallas, Radim Vrbata scored his 25th goal, former Dallas backup Mike Smith made 28 saves and Phoenix improved its playoff positioning with a victory over the Stars.