Wrapup (4:30 PM)
This was one of the most entertaining games I've seen in a long time. It reminded me of games from the mid-1980s.
The tilt today had something for every Philadelphia fan: a mind-boggling goaltending performance by Antero Niitymaki, a pair of tremendous goals by Jeff Carter (including yet another shorthanded goal), a hat trick by Scott Hartnell, physical play, fisticuffs, and a superstar performance without a point from Alexander Ovechkin (12 shots, six hits).
Philadelphia was very soft on the boards early in the game and simply couldn't cope with the Capitals forecheck. They got better in that area as the game went along, and it was very nice to see the club play such an assertive third period.
"When a goalie plays that well, it gives you a chance to regroup," Flyers coach John Stevens said after the game. "We weren't very good in the first period, but we got a little better in the second and a lot better in the third."
Notes and quotes:
* Stevens frequently sent out Braydon Coburn with Kimmo Timonen as the game moved along. Timonen moved from the left side (where he plays when paired with Ossi Vaananen) over to the right. Stevens indicated that he did it because the pairing had so much success against Ovechkin's line in the playoffs last year.
* Mike Green, who left Thursday's game early, got burned defensively several times over the second half of this game and ended up minus-four.
* I will post more postgame quotes later tonight.
3rd period synopsis: Flyers 7 - Caps 1
Change in goal for the Caps. Johnson out and Jose Theodore in to start the period.
Philly strings several solid checking shifts together. No scoring chances of note for either side through the first 3:15 of the period. Each club has one shot.
The referee somehow misses the blatant hooking of Jeff Carter as the Flyers carry into the zone but Philly turns the shift into a goal at 4:45.
Flyers 4 - Caps 0: Scott Hartnell tucks a puck home from near the right post for his 11th of the season. Joffrey Lupul gets the assist.
Flyers 4 - Caps 1: With Andrew Alberts and Luca Sbisa both scrambling around and no forwards there to help, Brooks Laich (8th goal of the season) gets the Caps on the board from in close at 5:09. Fleischmann gets the assist.
Morrisonn off for cross-checking at 5:43.
Flyers 5 - Caps 1: Carle rips a point shot on net that bounces in the air. With both Hartnell and Carter in front, both players have a chance at the rebound. Hartnell gets it for a powerplay goal. Fans throw hats on the ice thinking it's Carter's goal. Assists to Carle and Timonen at 7:29.
At 8:06, Luca Sbisa gets tripped by Mike Green as he carries the puck up the right wing. As the delayed penalty is whistled, the puck goes behind the net, Brashear comes in with a cheapshot boarding penalty (called roughing). Josh Gratton gets a roughing penalty. Flyers skate 5-on-4 on the powerplay.
On the powerplay, Jeff Carter is hooked by Morrisonn at 9:04. The Flyers have a 5-on-3. They cash in immediately.
Flyers 6 - Caps 1: Carter wins the draw back to Kimmo Timonen. The defenseman gets the puck quickly back to Carter. The centerman controls the puck and feeds Gagne, who rips his 17th of the season home at 9:19 for another powerplay goal for the Flyers.
Washington survives the remaining time on the 5-on-4 and then flurries in the Philly end. Niittymaki makes his 42nd and 43rd saves of the game.
Riley Cote makes a beeline for Brashear and loses to him again in the ensuing fight at the 12:03 mark.
Lasse Kukkonen, who really deserved more ice time today and should have played over Andrew Alberts on the blueline given all of Alberts' struggles today, fires a beautiful stretch pass that springs Jeff Carter on his second breakaway of the game. Theodore makes the stop with Carter on the forehand to deny him a hat trick at 15:19.
Flyers 7 - Capitals 1: There were enough hats left over for the Flyers fans to celebrate a real hat trick. With the Flyers on a 3on-2 rush, the Carter line executes with tic-tac-toe precision: Carter to Lupul to Hartnell. Hartnell slides the puck into a half-open net from the left slot at for his 13th of the season (and second hat trick of the season) at 16:25.
Josh Gratton and Matt Bradley drop the gloves at 17:54. Gratton administers a beat-down that is every bit as one-sided as the Brashear-Cote fights.
Off the next faceoff, Brashear and Asham drop the gloves (Asham convinces him with a two-hander) but no punches are thrown. Brashear gets an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 10-minute misconduct. Asham gets a slashing minor and a 10-minute misconduct at 18:01.
The clubs skate 4-on-4 for the rest of regulation. Niitty finishes with 47 saves.
2nd period synopsis: Flyers 3 - Caps 0
The Flyers' one-man show of the first period turned into a two-man show in the middle stanza. Washington was still the better club in the middle period in many facets of the game. The Flyers at least they competed harder in one-on-one battles than they did in the opening period. Jeff Carter's 23rd and 24th goals of the year were both goal-scorer's goals.
It would be nice to see the Flyers protect the lead in the third period by forcing Washington to make low-percentage plays out of frustration. It would be even nicer to see the Flyers spend back-to-back shifts in the offensive zone.
The Flyers start out the period with 1:57 of powerplay time. Mike Knuble's stick gets tied up as he stares at an open net from the slot, tucking the puck wide. The Flyers end with one shot.
Arron Asham and Darroll Powe create a scoring chance with their forechecking at the 2:52 mark.
Ovechkin nails Darrol Powe with a big hit along the boards. Later in that shift, he snaps his seventh shot of the game on goal from high in the zone as he carries over the blueline.
Riley Cote called for an offensive zone slash at 4:02. The Flyers spend much of the kill a step behind Ovechkin (who was literally all over the place) but survive once again.
Ovechkin blocks an Ossi Vaananen shot, rushes the other way wide on Carle and snaps a shot on net. Niitymaki comes out to challenge and makes the save. Shots are now 29-8 for the game. Ovechkin has as many shots on net as the entire Flyers team.
Mike Richards and Simon Gagne generate their best shift of the game about nine minutes into the period. Gagne nearly cashes in on a nicely conceived pass by Richards.
Lasse Kukkonen throws a hit on Milan Jurcina behind the net. Seconds later, the Caps take a holding penalty. Laich off at 10:53 for grabbing Riley Cote along the boards.
Early in the ensuing powerplay, Richards and Gagne work the puck from the half boards to the goal line. Gagne puts a side angle shot on net. Washington does a strong job of killing off the remainder of the penalty.
Niittymaki makes his 31st save of the game at about the 13:00 mark. He stops a Milan Jurcina point shot.
Flyers 2 - Capitals 0 : Jeff Carter and his explosive wrist shot give the Flyers a 2-0 lead. The big center carries over the blueline, curls toward the circle and uses his lightining fast release to fire a shot through the five-hole at 15:11. Joffrey Lupul gets the assist.
A would-be oddman rush is nullified by an Ossi Vaananen interference penalty at 15:47. The NHL's most dangerous penalty killing team then weaves its magic.
Flyers 3 - Capitals 0: Carter takes a feed over the middle from Braydon Coburn and speeds off on a breakaway. At this point, you knew he was going to score. Sure enough, Carter moves to his backhand and elevates the puck over Johnson for a shorthanded goal. Assists to Coburn and Alberts at 16:05.
With the Flyers still on the kill, Niittymaki makes a scrambling save in close on Ovechkin. Late in the kill, Carter lands a solid hit on Ovechkin behind the Caps' net.
Shots were 14-7 for Washington (Caps lead 39-13 through two periods). The faceoffs were 7-6 for Washington (Caps lead 25-21 through twp periods). Hits were 10-6 for Washington. Giveways were 4 by the Flyers, 3 for Washington (Philly has 13 to 7 by the Capitals.
Thank you to Scoop Cooper for these stats: For the game, Washington has 10 minutes of powerplay time, spending 5:44 in the attack zone. They have 19 shots on goal and 18 scoring chances.
1st period synopsis: Flyers 1 - Caps 0
If not for Antero Niittymaki's impersonation of Dominik Hasek in his prime, some hit goal posts and some bounces over sticks, the Capitals could easily have buried the Flyers under an avalance of goals in the first period. Alexander Ovechkin alone had six shots and three hits in the first period. Philly had no answer for the Caps' tenacious forecheck, other than Niittymaki saving their bacon.
The club should get read the riot act in the lockerroom during intermission. This type of first period effort is inexcusable: Silly penalties, bad turnovers, slow reactions. It's a miracle that they are actually ahead in the game. With a carryover powerplay, Philly needs to start asserting itself in the second period.
At the 59 second mark, Matt Carle turns the puck over and Niittymaki is forced to stop Alexander Ovechkin at point-blank range. Great save.
Mike Knuble off for roughing at 1:26. On the kill, a Nicklas Backstrom point shot gets through and is batted at by Tomas Fleischmann. The puck gets behind Niittymaki but doesn't get to the goal line. Moments later, Michael Nylander triggers a scoring chance in close for Ovechkin. Late in the kill, Niitty cleanly gloves a snap shot by Nylander.
Immediately after the kill ends, the Flyers lose a draw cleanly in their end and Tom Poti snaps a shot on goal. Shots are 8-1 for the Caps through the first 3:30 of the game. Caps have also won 5 of the first 6 faceoffs.
Flyers 1 - Capitals 0: At 4:29 Joffrey Lupul scores his 11th of the season on a give-and-go with Scott Hartnell. Hartnell carries over the blueline, dishes to Lupul on the right wing and heads to the net. Lupul makes a nice move into the circle and rips a shot past Brent Johnson. Matthew Carle gets the secondary assist.
Niittymaki makes a tough save through traffic at 7:05.
Lasse Kukkonen throws a hit on the much bigger Donald Brashear in the Caps end. As play moves the other way, Brashear has a burr under his saddles.
At 7:38, Brashear thumps Riley Cote in a lopsided fight in the Flyers end of the ice.
Kimmo Timonen off for a trip along the defensive boards at 8:13. On the ensuing kill, Ovechkin gets the benefit of the doubt on what looked like a high hit on Scott Hartnell. With 40 seconds left in the kill, Niittymaki gloves a rocket of an Ovechkin shot from the high slot. Shots are now 16-2 for Washington.
Shaone Morrisonn falls to the ice along the sideboards. Joffrey Lupul goes off for cross-checking at 10:59. Caps control the puck for a solid minute, and Niitymaki makes stops on Ovechkin and Mike Green. Michael Nylander wins the next draw, the Caps flurry yet again.
Niitty alone pulls the Flyers through the kill.
Shots are now 22-2 for Capitals through 13:06. Caps win the next offensive draw again and David Steckel gets a scoring chance. Andrew Alberts then turns the puck over and the Flyers end up pinned in deep again. Finally, the Flyers break out on an odd-man rush led by Luca Sbisa.
Ovechkin shrugs off a Kimmo Timonen hit behind the net and Backstrom centers in front. Mike Knuble makes a clutch shot block.
Alberts, who has looked horrible in this period, commits his fourth giveaway of the period at about the 16:30 mark. (NOTE: This play was not ruled a giveaway by the RTSS crew).
Caps pin the Flyers in deep again for about 30 seconds. They are moving the puck around at will and the Flyers are either chasing or turning the puck over. Simon Gagne had the most recent turnover along the walls.
The Flyers will start the second period on the powerplay. Donald Brashear takes a bad roughing penalty behind the play. Scottie Upshall goes in for a scoring chance on the delayed call. Whistle blows at 19:57.
Shots were 25-6 for Washington, scoring chances were 19-4. Faceoffs were 18-15 for Washington (but 5-of-7 on the powerplay). Hits were 12-9 for Washington. Giveways were 9 by the Flyers, 4 for Washington. The Caps also had nine keeps on failed clears.
Pregame (12:45 PM EST)
I apologize for the lack of a game preview this morning. I had an internet server problem. The in-game blog will run as per normal.
Glen Metropolit is a late scratch due to a lower body injury. He's day to day. Lasse Kukkonen will dress as a forward.
Lineups
Flyers
Gagne - Richards - Knuble
Hartnell - Carter - Lupul
Upshall - Powe - Asham
Cote - Kukkonen - Gratton
Timonen - Vaananen
Coburn - Carle
Alberts- Sbisa
Nittymaki
[Munroe]
Capitals
Ovechkin - Backstrom - Bradley
Fleischmann - Laich- Fehr
Giroux -Nylander - Kozlov
Brashear - Steckel - Gordon
Green - Morrisonn
Collins - Poti
Alzner - Jurcina
Johnson
[Theodore]
Contact Bill at
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