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Game 4 Wrap: Flyers Send Series Back to DC, Hang on for 2-1 Win

April 20, 2016, 11:19 PM ET [477 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Philadelphia Flyers hung on by their fingernails to take a 2-1 victory in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and avoid a sweep at the hands of the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals. Game Five will be at the Verizon Center in DC on Friday.

For the fourth straight game, the Flyers played a strong first period. This time, however, they were finally able to take a lead to the first intermission.

"I didn't see desperation, I saw confidence," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol responded to a question about whether playing with desperation drove the Flyers to success in Game 4.

They also ended a series-long power play drought (0-for-13) as rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, on his 23rd birthday, scored his first playoff goal as he fired a center point shot through a heavy Wayne Simmonds screen just in front of the crease to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead they took to the locker room. Flyers captain Claude Giroux got his first goal of the series on the play.

Philly added to its lead in an evenly played second period, as an Andrew MacDonald point shot through a partial screen up high in the zone found its way past Braden Holtby (23 saves on 25 shots). Simmonds and Brayden Schenn got the assists.

I was just trying to do something. I mean I didn’t want to block it. I didn’t want to do anything. I was trying to set a little flash screen there and help. It was a great shot and I was just pumped for him," Gostisbehere said.

Playing his first game of the series and second since missing most of the stretch drive with a knee injury, Michal Neuvirth was scarcely tested in the first two periods. In the third period, he was under siege, however.

"Nothing changes (whether it is Steve Mason or Neuvirth). We know that no matter who is in net, they are going to have our back and they’re going to have a good performance every night. In Mase’s case, I think us, as players in front of him, let him down. We went to that box too many times and left him to the mercy of the Capitals. Neuvy goes in there and tonight and plays a great game but I think we did a good job of staying out of the box," said Simmonds.

Neuvirth's lone mistake was letting out a preventable rebound that T.J. Oshie potted on the backhand to cut the Washington deficit to 2-1. Thereafter, Neuvirth was lights out in making 12 saves in the final stanza and 31 stops of 32 shots overall. Philly also got numerous clutch shot blocks (29 overall, 17 in the third period).

There was one anxious moment in the latter stages of the third period as Capitals star Alex Ovechkin unleased a scorching slap shot with vicious moment on it from right near the same area in which he scored on Steve Mason (via wrist shot) in Game 3. The puck beat Neuvirth but whistled just wide of the long-side post and rocketed around the boards all the way down the ice.

For the first time in the series, the Flyers came out ahead in the special teams battle. Most importantly, Philly stayed out of the penalty box most of the night, going 2-for-2 on a full-length and an abbreviated kill. They were 1-for-2 on a full-length and abbreviated power play.

Brayden Schenn, moved back to left wing from center and switched onto the top line in place of Jakub Voracek had his most effective night since game one of the series. Ryan White played fourth line center in place of the suspended Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and went 5-for-6 on faceoffs and recorded four credited hits. Colin McDonald, playing his first game of the series, brought the hoped-for "heavy game" with seven credited hits and numerous board-battle wins in 19 shifts. He also had two shots on goal.

"That's my role here," said McDonald. "I try not to go out of my way to make a hit. Still got to be a hockey player. But of course if the hits there I’m going to make it.”

When the Flyers were able to get pucks in deep in the first two periods, the Capitals defense corps did not handle the forecheck as well as in previous games. Philly also employed a little more motion in the defensive zone.

Playing without injured shutdown defenseman Brooks Orpik, the Caps had a little less success in the trenches than they had in the games where he was available. Moved up to the second pairing, Nate Schmidt struggled with turnovers and decision-making. The usually reliable Matt Niskanen also did not have his best game. Sixth defenseman Taylor Chorney, playing his first game of the series after Orpik's injury, was spotted in 12:10 of ice time by Capitals coach Barry Trotz, taking a bad penalty that led to the Gostisbehere goal.

On the Flyers PK, Philly finally made an adjustment to pressure the points. It seemed to work in the small sample size after John Carlson utterly picked apart the PK in Games 1, 2, and 3.

A horrifying moment took place at 16:11 of the first period. Jockeying with Capitals defenseman John Carlson deep in Washington territory as the puck went around the wall, Flyers forward Scott Laughton wiped out and crashed awkwardly into the lower part of the end boards, laying face down and motionless on the ice in the trapezoid behind the Washington net. He was stretchered off on a gurney with his head and neck immobilized and taken to Jefferson Hospital for observation.

"When that happens hockey is in the rear view. We just wanted to make sure he was okay. We’re praying for him and hope he’s doing well. We just told him that we’re here for him. This W is for him and we’re going to keep going," Gostisbehere said.

Capitals and Flyers players alike tapped their sticks for Laughton as he left the ice with emergency personnel. After the final horn, Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz skated down the ice to retrieve the final game puck; obviously for Laughton.

Word after the game from Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall was that all tests were negative. For precautionary reasons, Laughton would remain overnight at the hospital for observation.

The Flyers will not practice on Thursday. The team will attend a public memorial ceremony for the late Ed Snider at the Wells Fargo Center at 2 p.m. EDT. The event is free to the public to attend. Immediately thereafter, the Flyers will bus to DC.

1st Period

Just 15 seconds into the game, Holtby stopped a shot he never saw; a Shayne Gostisbehere shot through a Wayne Simmonds screen directly in front. The puck went off Holtby and the post and stayed out of the net.

Shots were 4-1 Flyers as a long Flyers forechecking shift ended with a retaliatory interference penalty by Taylor Chorney on Nick Cousins at 5:03. The Flyers got off the power play schneid as Wayne Simmonds set a moving screen in front and Shayne Gostisbehere ripped a center point shot home at 5:51. Barry Trotz challenged the goal, claiming goalie interference by Simmonds, but the call was upheld as incidental contact outside the crease. Claude Giroux and Simmonds got the assists on Gostisbehere's first playoff goal.

Radko Gudas painfully blocked a shot about eight minutes into the period, limping off to the bench.

Simmonds tucked the puck wide on a Nate Schmidt giveaway. At the other end, Andrew MacDonald blocked a Jay Beagle shot out play at 9:48. Shots were 7-2 Flyers.

After another gaffe by Schmidt, Holtby made a point-blank save on Sam Gagner to keep the score 1-0. Shots were 10-2 with 6:26 left.

The Flyers nearly score after a Matt Niskanen giveaway behind his own net. With play moving the other way, Holtby held on to Simmonds' stick as they got tangled in front. There were no calls. With 4:20 left, Neuvirth calmly butterflied and stopped a partially blocked backhander by Justin Williams on a give-and-go play.

With 3:49 left Laughton was knocked down legally by John Carlson in a puck battle near the goal line and his momentum made him slide awkwardly into lower part of the end boards. Laughton lay motionless and face down. He eventually moved his right arm but had to be carefully taken off on a stretcher. The Capitals' players as well as the Flyers tapped their sticks for the young player. He was at least responsive and able to talk but his head and neck were immobilized.

Wen play resumed, Neuvirth made a good save on a Bäckström's wrister from the deep slot with 3:17 remaining. The Caps hemmed the Flyers in deep throughout the final minute of the period, generating several side-angle shots from near the goal line by Beagle and from the point. Shots in the first period were 12-10 Flyers.

2nd Period

Holtby made a great stop on a tip-in attempt by an onrushing Schenn off a feed from Giroux at the 31-second mark. At 1:54, he stopped a backhanded wraparound try by Gagner.

Orlov turned a puck over at 2:38 looking for a stretch pass but the puck barely cleared the blueline and was brought in offside. Shots were 3-0 Flyers through 2:52.

Neuvirth carefully played a skittering point shot by Carlson and dived on the puck in front at 3:24 for his first save of the period.

Andrew MacDonald made it a 2-0 lead at 3:51. His left point shot came through a high screen but there was no deflection and time for Holtby to track the puck. Simmonds and Schenn got the helpers on MacDonald's first of the playoffs.

The last time the first two goals of a playoff game came from Flyers defensemen was Game 3 of their 2003 series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Eric Weinrich and Eric Desjardins were the scorers. The last time two Flyers defensemen scored back-to-back goals for the team's first two goals of a game came when Ryan Parent and Chris Pronger trimmed 2-0 and 3-1 deficits in Game 2 of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston.

Neuvirth made a flashy glove save on a Carlson point shot off a Matt Read turnover at 5:47. The crowd roared. Neuvirth then absorbed a side-angle shot by Bäckström at 6:22. A TV timeout ensued.

Shots were 7-4 Flyers (19-14 overall) as Nick Schultz blocked a puck out of play. As play resumed, Raffl fired a left circle slap shot into a challenging Holtby on a 3-on-2 rush.

As the period neared the midway point, the Flyers got caught on a long defensive zone shift. Everything was kept to the perimeter and a Read shot block up high in the zone ended the push without a Caps shot. A TV timeout ensued at 10:20.

A near 2-on-1 Flyers break turned into an icing on an errant stretch pass with 8:18 left. Philly won the draw and broke out cleanly.

Colin McDonald made his presence felt with a big, clean hit on Niskanen behind the Caps' net. It was his fourth credited hit. Two shifts later, Washington iced the puck at 13:33.

Gudas made a nice recovery to break up a potential Williams breakaway. Neuvirth then denied Evgeny Kuznetov on the doorstep. A TV timeout ensued.

The Caps went to their first power play at 14:31. Gagner was called for interference. The crowd hooted because, at the other end of the ice, Williams had interfered with Raffl. Giroux came up with a clutch clear off an intercept from Oshie. Gudas got the next clear as the Caps came came back into the offensive zone Neuvirth stopped a rare Ovechkin wrister (rather than a blast) from the left circle. The penalty was killed.

Philly went to its second power play at 17:48 as Bäckström was called for an offensive zone hold on MacDonald. Voracek was called for holding -- right arm around Beagle -- during a puck battle to cancel out the power play 28 seconds into it at 18:16.

With play at 4-on-4, Gudas blocked an Ovechkin right circle shot out of play. The Caps took 16 seconds of power play time into the third period.

Shots were 9-9 in the second period; 21-19 Flyers through two periods.

3rd Period

The Flyers got through the short remaining PK without incident. Brandon Manning stole a puck in the neutral zone, carried in around a defender and snapped a long shot on Holtby for the period's first shot.

Neuvirth was unable to absorb a Niskanen point shot and Oshie patiently potted the rebound at 2:38 to cut the deficit to 2-1. Alzner got the secondary assist on Oshie's first goal of the series.

After the goal, the Caps brought heavy pressure for the next few shifts. Neuvirth stopped Carlson and Kuznetov offerings.

Gagner made a sliding shot block on Andre Burakovsky with 12:49 left in the third period. Shots were 4-2 Caps (even at 23-23 for the game).

Neuvirth fought off a rising Chorney point shot on the Caps' next foray. After a clear, both teams changed lines. Neuvirth then sniffed out a D-to-D pass from Carlson to a pinching Schmidt, came out to challenge and made a clean save on a slapper from the top of the right circle.

Firing a scorching slap shot instead of a wrister, Ovechkin had Neuvirth beaten from about the same spot where he beat Steve Mason in Game 3. This one whistled just wide of the long side post and rimmed out around the boards. Coming back the other way, the Caps had another good chance at 10:10 as it took a strong save by Neuvirth to deny Burakovsky's 25-foot snap shot.

After a TV timeout, Neuvirth stopped a Burakovsky tip-in try near the net off the rush. Neuvirth then had to make a 10-bell save on Tom Wilson with about eight minutes left on a blocked puck that went right to Wilson.

The Caps created a mad scramble in the Flyers zone. Neuvirth made a point-blank stop on Mike Richards. Gudas was attended to on the bench as a TV timeout ensued with 5:32 left. Shots were 12-3 Caps (31-24 Caps for the game). Streit blocked a pinching Carlson's chance out of play with 5:23 left.

A faceoff came out of the Philly zone as Wilson pulled in a puck along the walls and did not move it. Manning then broke up an Ovechkin rush one-on-one. Raffl took an accidental glancing high-stick on a zone clear. After another shift with Philly pinned in deep, Neuvirth dived on a loose carom off the end boards with 2:30 left on the clock.

Manning dropped Wilson with a body check in the left circle. Wilson lay there as the Caps maintained possession. Finally play was blown dead and the faceoff came to the neutral zone with 1:57 left left. Wilson went off under his own power.

Ryan White beat out an icing with with about 1:20 left. Gudas broke up a rush with 47 seconds left
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