Wrap: Flyers Defeat Capitals, 3-2
Returning home from a six-game road trip, the Philadelphia Flyers skated to a 3-2 win over the powerhouse Washington Capitals at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. Five successful penalty kills keyed the victory for the Flyers.
With the win, the Flyers improved to 14-2-4 on home ice compared to 9-13-2 on the road.
The teams traded off two first period goals in a frame where the Flyers had the majority of the territorial control. Travis Konecny (14th) scored early, Robert Hà¤gg (1st) scored late and Washington's Nicklas Bà¤ckström (9th) and Jakub Vrana (6-on-5 delayed penalty, 19th) tallied in between . Washington had the better of puck possession -- and a huge edge in shots -- in the second period but Philly got the lone goal: Kevin Hayes (shorthanded, 13th) at 17:59.
In the third period, despite having to kill two additional penalties, the Flyers outshot the Capitals, 11-9, and did a good job overall in shutting down the game, with some help from key shot blocks, timely saves, good defensive sticks and some forechecking pressure of their own.
Carter Hart had some dicey moments in the first period but then settled in and was excellent over the final 40 minutes. Overall, he stopped 26 of 28 shots. With the win, Hart has a 12-1-2 record at home this season with a 1.54 GAA and .945 save percentage. On the road, he is 2-9-1 with a 4.01 GAA and .855 save percentage.
Braden Holtby took the loss. He made 24 saves on 27 Flyers shots.
The Flyers got off to strong start -- minus the outnumbered chances they were giving up early in Tuesday's game in Raleigh -- and earned a quick lead. At 3:24, after Sean Couturier pressured Nick Jensen into a turnover, Konency went upstairs on Holtby from point blank range.
The first bonafide Caps scoring chance ended up in the Flyers' net at 7:11. Travis Sanheim was pressured behind the net by Alex Ovechkin and turned the puck over to Tom Wilson, who passed out to an open Bà¤ckström near the left hash marks. Hart got some of the shot but not enough, and the puck dribbled into the net.
at 12:34, Vrana scored from the deep center slot on a delayed Flyers' penalty to make it a 2-1 game, The sequence started with a long rebound that Hart left in front. Assists went to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Michal Kempny.
With 2:51 left, a very strong shift by the Flyers' third line created Philly's first power play of the game. Shortly after the penalty expired, Robert Hà¤gg's point shot found the net and had T.J. Oshie looking skyward. First period shots were 13-8 in the Flyers' favor.
The second period got off to a somewhat feisty start, with plenty of chirping and after-whistle pushing and shoving. At 3:40, Tom WIlson drew a high-sticking minor against the Flyers' Phil Myers, putting the Caps on the power play. The Flyers did a good job of killing it off.
As the second period moved along, the game became the Carter Hart Show, as the young Flyers goalie erased several tough chances. The Flyers trailed 9-0 in shots -- although Kevin Hayes missed the net on a prime chance -- for 13+ minutes before Holtby denied a Phil Myers shot with Couturier screening right in front of him. Two late period penalty kills created momentum for the Flyers, capped by a Kevin Hayes breakaway shorthander.
Angry about a slashing call on Couturier after Couturier had twice been fouled by Caps players without penalties --- most blatantly by a Tom Wilson high-stick moments before the call Couturier -- channeled the emotion the right way.
Laughton checked John Carlson at the defensive blue line to force a turnover. Kevin Hayes jumped on the loose puck and rumbled off on a breakaway. Shifting to his backhand, he beat Braden Holtby to put the Flyers ahead by a 3-2 score at 17:59. Shots were 11-3 Caps.
The Flyers had the first wave of momentum in the third period, led by Hayes. The Caps pushed back and then got another power play as Couturier went back to the box for another slash on Wilson. The successful kill was highlighted by Hart stoning Wilson on a breakaway.
The Caps got their 5th power play of the night as Myers was called for tripping Vrana. Yet again the PK stepped up big for Philly. With 2:36 left in the third period, Voracek drew a tripping penalty on Orlov. There was no further scoring.
The Flyers will have a complete off-day on Thursday. On Friday, they will return to practice in Voorhees for the first time since the start of the post-Christmas road trip. Another brutally tough game looms on Saturday. Winners of eight straight games and nine of their last 10, the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town for a 7 p.m. ET tilt.