Shootout win propels Flyers past Capitals

In a wildly entertaining game between two heavyweights in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers downed the Capitals, 5-4, in a game decided by a shootout. This one certainly had a playoff feel to it with two good teams battling from start to finish, neither one willing to concede two points to the opposition. In the end, after letting a two goal lead slip away, the Flyers managed to hold on in overtime and then win on a Danny Briere shootout goal.

The Flyers offense continues to feature a balanced attack as 8 different players ended up with points. The usual suspects of Claude Giroux, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter all scored goals and Andreas Nodl even chipped in his 5th goal of the season.

Brian Boucher got the start in net for the Flyers, his first since October 25th, and he was just good enough to keep the Flyers in the game. At times, Boucher was brilliant, making some key saves for the Flyers down the stretch. At other times, Boucher looked rusty, giving up a few questionable goals that allowed the Capitals to stay in the game. While Boosh may be the odd man out when Michael Leighton returns to the ice, he is certainly still talented enough to be a quality backup goaltender in the league.

With the win, the Flyers still remain atop their division and second in the Eastern Conference in points. They have positioned themselves as one of the best teams in the league through both their offense, which has scored a league-high 75 goals, and their defense, which, Thursday night's game against the Lightning notwithstanding, has been lock-down, as evidenced by their league high goal differential of +22. With a game against the Canadiens on Monday, the Flyers string of entertaining games figures to continue.
(AP PHOTO)

Sure, the Capitals beat the Flyers, but at least we don't have "Caps Rap"

Yeah, yeah, the Capitals beat the Flyers for the third time this season on Sunday, 5-3. While the Flyers played well, the Capitals are simply the better all-around team right now. They took advantage of a shaky return to the ice by goaltender Ray Emery and wore down the Flyers.

We can still hold our heads up high, though, Flyers fans, because we know none of our fans would do anything as ridiculous as this:

Just, wow, how horrific is that? It's so bad, it's good, it's like a car wreck that you can look away from. The best part about it is about 2 minutes in when the fake Alex Ovechkin starts rapping about eating Penguins.

In fact, that's one thing we can all agree on: the Penguins are nature's crybabies.

**Credit for the heads up on the video goes to @Mtrible on Twitter.

Lupul's overtime goal lifts Flyers into Second Round

Bring on the Canadiens! With the series tied 3-3, the Flyers and Capitals, in a thrilling Game Seven, needed more than three periods to decide who would move on to the next round. The Flyers won 3-2 on a Joffrey Lupul rebound goal, moving them into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Flyers didn't play their best game tonight, but they once again did just enough to keep it close. Martin Biron made several key stops, and the defense stepped up at opportune times to keep the Caps from generating too many clean looks. Derian Hatcher has to be commended for several goal-saving plays he made to slow down Alexander Ovechkin. Hatcher is playing his best hockey of the season at just the right time.

The Capitals got the first goal of the game when Nicklas Backstrom had an open look after the puck took a weird carom off the backboards. After starting slow in the series, Backstrom looked like the player who is deserving of Rookie of the Year status, netting goals in the last four games.

Scottie Upshall tied the game up at 1-1 on a Power Play goal later in the first period. He took a shot from the point that appeared to tip off a skate and then trickle past Cristobal Huet. It wasn't a pretty goal, but the Flyers were on the board. The Capitals then took two penalties in the span of 20 seconds, one of them a double minor, to set up a lengthy 5 on 3 for the Flyers. The Flyers generated several chances, but were unable to get one past Huet, and it appeared that the Caps had grabbed the momentum back.

No one scored again until midway through the second period, when the Flyers took a 2-1 lead on a controversial goal. Patrick Thoreson pushed a Capital defender into Cristobal Huet, who fell over and left a wide-open net for Sami Kapanen to fire the puck into. The goal counted and no penalty was called. After several replays, it is still difficult for me to tell if Thoreson deserved a penalty on the play. I've seen players get called for goalie interference for doing less, but the refs swallowed the whistle.

As they have done in nearly every game, the Flyers gave up their lead several minutes later when Alexander Ovechkin took the puck and fired a laser shot past Martin Biron. Biron was completely unscreened and got a good look at the shot, but Ovechkin fired it faster than Biron could react.

The game remained 2-2 for the entire third period. The Capitals dominated the play, out-working and out-shooting the Flyers but failing to score. The Flyers did just enough and Biron made a bunch of big saves to keep the Caps off the board. The Flyers failed to get anything going offensively, refusing to take any chances that could lead to game-ending turnovers.

The overtime period saw both teams come out with high energy, with chances coming at both ends of the ice. The refs, who had put away their whistles and let several penalties go, finally called Tom Poti of the Capitals for tripping R.J. Umberger to the ice. The Flyers then got their best sustained pressure of the entire game, and just as the power play was ending, Joffrey Lupul found a rebound created by a Kimmo Timonen shot and fired it home. Huet was looking the wrong direction after the shot, allowing Lupul to have an open net to shoot at. The goal was Lupul's first of the playoffs. He had been getting closer and closer to scoring each game, it was only fitting that he finally bury one at the biggest moment.

The Flyers just barely were able to put away the Capitals and avoid an embarrassing collapse in a series they led 3-1. They were fortunate to be on the right side of a few questionable calls by the refs, but all of their goals were the result of hard work and hustle. They didn't get any pretty tic-tac-toe goals, they fought hard to tip shots and get rebound goals. They forced the Capitals to play a rougher style that took them out of their smooth skating game they like to play.

The Canadiens are up next for the Flyers. The Canadiens beat the Flyers every time they played this season, and they are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are also coming off a seven game series, so both teams will be exhausted. The Bruins were able to push Montreal to the limit, so the Flyers should be able to do some damage. The Canadiens are an excellent team, however, so it will be a big challenge for the Flyers.

But, we'll worry about the Canadiens later. For now, let's all enjoy the Flyers and their ability to come through in a clutch situation. For a team that was the worst in hockey last year, they have moved into the final group of eight. They have come so far, and while they still are missing a few pieces that would make them a bona fide Stanley Cup contender, let's enjoy the ride and see how far they can take things this year.

Footage of the game winner by Joffrey Lupul:

Game Seven Flyers vs. Capitals Live Game Blog Under Way!

Big game tonight! Check back in at 6:45 tonight for the Flyers vs. Capitals Live Game Blog. Join in a discussion with fellow Flyers fans (and some Capitals fans) as the game happens. Let's see if the Flyers can bounce back after a disappointing Game Six.

Flyers blow 2 goal lead, chance to end series

You knew he would make his mark eventually. After basically being shut down for 5 games, Alexander Ovechkin proved why he is the NHL MVP as he scored two goals in the third period to lead the Capitals past the Flyers, 4-2. The win forces the series back to Washington for a Game 7, something the Flyers desperately wanted to avoid.

The Flyers dominated the game through most of the first 30 minutes of play, building a 2-0 lead from two power play goals scored by Mike Richards and Danny Briere. From there, the Caps took over, scoring 4 unanswered goals and completely dominating the play. Nicklas Backstrom scored his third goal in as many games to start the scoring for the Caps, and Ovechkin added the game winner in the beginning of the third period when he came in all alone and shot the puck past Martin Biron. Ovechkin later added a one-time goal on the power play to seal the victory for the Caps.

It was only a matter of time before Ovechkin got going, and the Flyers made several costly mistakes to facilitate his breakout game. Washington "capitalized" on nearly every Flyer mistake, and there were plenty of sloppy passes and dumb penalties for them to take advantage of. The Flyers lacked a killer instinct all night, like they were unaware they had a great opportunity to finish off the series. As soon as Philly got a two goal lead, they seemed satisfied and played back on their heels, allowing the Capitals to dictate the play. The only thing that kept this game from being a bigger blowout was the play of Martin Biron, who made 36 saves, several of them big stops that kept the Flyers within striking distance.

The Flyers are now forced to try to finish out the Capitals in Washington, a place they haven't played great hockey. The Flyers need to come out with way more energy than they have shown in the last two games or the Capitals will score early and the game could be over quickly. They blew their chance tonight, and now the Caps carry all the momentum and confidence into the final game of the series. Alexander Ovechkin also appears to have woken up from his playoff slumber, and that could spell the end for the Flyers' season.

Game Six Flyers vs. Capitals Live Game Blog Tonight!

Check back in today at 6:45 pm for the Flyers vs. Capitals Game Six Live Game Blog. Join in the discussion with other Flyers fans (and a few Caps fans) as the game happens!

Capitals win, send series back to Philly

The Capitals played their most complete game at just the right time, staving off elimination by beating the Flyers 3-2 in Game Five. The win pushes the series to a Game Six that will be played back in Philadelphia on Monday.

Washington played with a boatload of energy in the first period, getting a ton of scoring chances and keeping the Flyers on their heels. They scored an early goal on a 5 on 3 power play, but then failed to score again for the rest of the period despite dominating the play. The Flyers were held without a shot for about 15 minutes and looked lifeless. Every time they got the puck, they looked to dump it in and set it up, but the Capitals got to every loose puck and turned it right back up ice.

The Capitals stretched their lead to 2-0 when Sergei Fedorov scored a goal early in the second period. The Flyers finally showed some life and tried to fight back, earning a 5 on 3 power play that finally allowed them to get on the board. Vaclav Prospal scored a goal to make it 2-1 when Danny Briere gave him a great feed on the power play.

The Flyers then proceeded to dominate the play from that point on, out-shooting, out-hitting and out-chancing the Capitals. Despite getting numerous chances, they were unable to capitalize, and then had three costly penalties late in the third period that led to Washington upping their lead to 3-1. The Flyers managed to score about 45 seconds later to make the score 3-2 when Derian Hatcher took a pass from Prospal and fired it past Cristobal Huet, but they were unable to tie the game after that despite controlling the puck almost the whole rest of the game.

Huet, who finished with 30 saves, made all the necessary stops down the stretch, never allowing the Flyers to even the score. The Capitals played some of the best defensive hockey in the third period, not allowing the Flyers too many good shots despite the fact they dominated the play.

Biron was no slouch either, he could have easily given up more goals in the Capitals first period onslaught. The Flyers didn't appear ready to play in the first, and they were lucky the Caps didn't bury them then. They should look at the fact that they could have stole this one as a positive, although it is disturbing that as the series has gone on, the Flyers have looked worse as the Capitals have looked better.

One other thing to worry about: Game Four hero Mike Knuble was injured in the second period of the game and failed to return to the ice. The early indication is that he has a hamstring injury, and I would bet he is day-to-day.

The Flyers need to finish this series off at home on Monday. This Capitals team has proven that if you give them a small opening, they will storm right through it. Allowing the Caps to win Game Six and then letting them go home to Washington again would be killer for the Flyers. Expect the Flyers to come out with a ton of energy on Monday, and it will be the Capitals turn to weather the storm.

I still stand by my original prediction that the Flyers will win in six.

Game 5 Flyers vs. Capitals Live Game Blog Under Way!

Check back in today at 12:45 pm for the Flyers vs. Capitals Game Five Live Game Blog. Join in the discussion with other Flyers fans (and a few Caps fans) as the game happens!

Game Three Flyers vs. Capitals Live Blog Under Way!

Check back in later today at 6:45 for the Flyers vs. Capitals Live Game Blog.
GO FLYERS!

Biron shuts door, Flyers tie series

Washington Capitals' fans should file a missing persons report for Alexander Ovechkin, because he was nowhere to be found in today's 2-0 win by the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers defense shut down the usually potent Ovechkin, who managed 5 shots on goal, but generated very few chances in his nearly 27 minutes of ice time.

Martin Biron played a great game in goal, turning aside 24 shots en route to his first career playoff shutout. He needed to make several big stops in the second period when the Capitals were firing a number of shots on goal, but he also had long stretched of time where he could relax, including six minutes in the third period when the Capitals didn't tally a shot on goal.

Biron had to be sharp in the first two periods because the Flyers couldn't keep out of the penalty box. The Flyers had 4 penalties in the first period alone that led to numerous power play chances by the Caps, but luckily they were able to stop the usually potent Washington attack.

Offensively, the Flyers scored both of their goals in the first period. The first goal of the game came on a long pass from Braydon Coburn to R.J. Umberger which led to Umberger putting it past Cristobal Huet. The second goal was created when Mike Green of the Capitals turned the puck over to Mike Knuble, who fired a shot on goal, and the rebound went directly to Jeff Carter who buried it for a 2-0 lead in the first period. From the second goal on, the Flyers generated only very few good chances, instead focusing on shutting down Washington's attack.

This is a big win for the Flyers, who now get to go home after stealing one in Washington. I said before the series started that Philly needed to take one of the first two games to have a chance, and after blowing a great opportunity in the first game, they were resilient in fighting back today. They have to be happy that they seem to have found a way to slow down Alexander Ovechkin, who has been invisible except for his game winning goal in Game One. The Flyers are also happy to take this win knowing their top offensive combo, Danny Briere and Vaclav Prospal, didn't have to score at all. Getting the other lines going is critical if the Flyers want to have success in the playoffs, they can't rely solely on Briere and Prospal to carry them.

Game Three is Tuesday in Philly. The Capitals looked extremely frustrated at the end of Game Two, so if the Flyers can get an early goal or two, they might be able to run away with the series.

Expect Alexander Ovechkin to "find himself" in Game Three. It will be up to the Flyers to respond.

Flyers vs. Capitals: Game Two Live Blog Under Way!

Check back in at 1:45 Eastern for the Flyers/Capitals Game Two Live Blog. Let's see if the Flyers can bounce back!

Ovechkin, Capitals erase 2 goal deficit to down Flyers in Game One

It almost seemed inevitable. The game was tied 4-4 late in the third period, and Alexander Ovechkin had yet to score a goal. Somehow, everyone knew that he was going to make his mark in this game, his first ever in the NHL playoffs. Sure enough, Ovechkin netted the game winning goal in the final five minutes of play. He created the whole play on his own, striking with an unassisted goal after he took the puck away from Lasse Kukkonen in the Flyers' zone and punched it past Martin Biron to win the game for the Captials 5-4.

The momentum shifted constantly in the game, with each team grabbing it and subsequently giving it up. Donald Brashear of all people scored the first goal of the game 3 minutes in, but the Flyers responded five minutes later with a goal by Vinny Prospal. The Caps then scored again early in the second, but after that the Flyers took the game over, scoring three unanswered goals to take the lead 4-2. Prospal and Danny Briere led the offensive explosion, as each got 2 goals and an assist. The second period was a demonstration of how good the Flyers can be when the top line is clicking.

Unfortunately, as good as the second period was, the third was a major letdown. The Capitals scored early in the period (a common theme on the night) and then tied the game shortly thereafter. The game was up and down from there, with both teams getting plenty of 3 on 2 opportunities but neither one capitalizing. Ovechkin eventually scored his goal and the Flyers were unable to respond in the final minutes.

The Flyers should look at this game as the one that got away. They will likely need to win one of these first two games in Washington, and they let a great opportunity tonight slip away. Philly was able to contain Ovechkin for most of the night, but he broke through right when his team needed him. I guess that's why he's the MVP.

Briere and Prospal were awesome offensively, but the Flyers got no contributions from anyone else. Scottie Upshall was all over the ice and made a number of hustle plays, but he was unable to generate any great scoring chances. Jeff Carter had a number of chances that he either missed the net completely on or shot right at Capitals goalie Cristobal Huet.

The Flyers should recognize the things they did well in the second period and use them in their game plan for game 2 on Sunday. This series is in no way over, but the Flyers will need to capitalize on what Washington gives them if they are going to advance.

Go to the previous post to read my Game Blog for Game one. I will be doing another Game Blog for Game two, so check back on Sunday for that.

Here is Ovechkin's game winner. Notice the terrible play first by Jaroslav Modry and then by Kukkonen that leads to the scoring chance. I bet Kukkonen is benched next game because of this.

Flyers/Capitals Game One Live Blog!

Live Blog is under way! Go Flyers!

Flyers vs. Capitals: First Round Breakdown

On the eve of the opening game of the Flyers series against the Capitals, its time to take a closer look at this series. Most hockey analysts feel this series will be the best of any in the first round, with lots of hitting and scoring expected. So far, the resounding majority of hockey experts feel that the Capitals will take the series, although they all agree that the Flyers will not go down without a fight.

Offense: It's one flashy Capitals line against the deep scoring attack of the Flyers. The Capitals feature three players with 20 or more goals, and the Flyers have seven. Granted, Alexander Ovechkin's 65 goals dwarfs anything an individual Flyer put up this year, but the Flyers have a much more balanced approach. Ovechkin is special, and there is nothing the Flyers will be able to do to completely shut him down, but they hope to have Mike Richards and Jeff Carter blanketing him all over the ice every chance they can. If there is any way the Flyers can limit Ovechkin to a point per game player, the Flyers easily win this series. The Capitals do have other scoring threats, including possible rookie of the year Nicklas Backstrom and the suddenly rejuvenated Sergei Fedorov, but Ovechkin is the key to their attack.

The Flyers have three legitimate scoring lines, and it will be up to the Capitals to figure out how to stop all of them. The chemistry between Vaclav Prospal and Danny Briere has been special lately, so expect the Caps to send their shut-down line out to slow them down. That could open things up for scorers like Carter and Richards who will have a big advantage over the Capitals lesser players. Edge: Capitals, but not by as much as you think

Defense: These two teams are very similar along the blue line. Neither team is known for having shut-down defenders, but both have big, intimidating players on the back line. Both teams also feature high scoring puck-movers in Mike Green for Washington and Kimmo Timonen for Philly. There are also some injury factors, and both teams expect to be missing players at the beginning of the series. Basically, both teams are average defensively, but they do have forwards that help with the back check that helps eliminate some of the mistakes. Slight Edge: Flyers, their defense is slightly deeper and more experienced

Goaltending: Neither goaltender carries any significant playoff experience, with Cristobal Huet playing in only 6 playoff games and Martin Biron making his playoff debut. Huet is the hot goaltender right now as he nearly single-handedly carried the Capitals to the postseason. He was by far the best mid-season acquisition, and his impact on the team can't be understated. Huet has a 11-2 record with the Caps, and a minuscule goals against average of 1.63.

Biron has not been as consistent for the Flyers, although he was hot down the stretch, getting shut outs in the final two games of the season. Biron's lack of playoff experience is a downside, but he has at least been on several Buffalo teams that have made deep runs. The Flyers have the better back-up in Antero Niitymaki, but back-ups are useless in the playoffs. Edge: Capitals because hot goaltending wins in the playoffs

This series figures to be evenly matched, and could very likely go seven games. I am not buying all the talk that this series will be a "bloodbath", only people who are stuck in the mindset that all the Flyers do is beat people up would think that. The Flyers will be physical with the Capitals, but they won't go over the edge and take a bunch of stupid penalties because they know that would feed right into one of the big strengths of the Capitals, their power play. I still think the Flyers win in six games, winning games 5 and 6 after splitting the first four games. I think their depth will simply be too much for the Capitals to handle, and Alexander Ovechkin will get a rude welcome to the playoffs.

ESPN: Capitals in Six

The predictions are already starting to come in for the Flyers/Capitals playoff series. Scott Burnside of ESPN posted his first-round breakdown, and he thinks the Caps will win in 6 games. He calls the Capitals a "juggernaut" and toots his own horn because he called the Capitals his darkhorse team at the beginning of the year.

Get ready for a lot of media attention focused on the Flyers and their supposed thuggery, with plenty of mentions of the early season suspensions. This series was billed as "Good vs. Evil" by TSN, with everyone in love with the Capitals and Alex Ovechkin. Too bad Washington doesn't even come close to matching the Flyers' depth.

I will post more expert predictions as they come out.

Flyers vs. Capitals: Series begins Friday

The NHL released the schedule for the first round games, and the Flyers and Capitals will begin their 7 game series in Washington on Friday, April 11th. Here is the schedule of games:

Game 1: Friday, April 11, Philadelphia at Washington, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, April 13, Philadelphia at Washington, 2 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, April 15, Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Thursday, April 17, Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Game 5: Saturday, April 19, Philadelphia at Washington, 1 p.m.
Game 6: Monday, April 21, Washington at Philadelphia, TBD
Game 7: Tuesday, April 22, Philadelphia at Washington, TBD

All other first round series begin on Wednesday or Thursday, but for some reason this one has to wait an extra day. The Wizards play in the same building as the Capitals and they have a game against the Celtics on Wednesday, so that could be one reason for the delay.

Click here for a complete list of all first round series schedules.

Flyers win, will face Washington in first round

The Flyers didn't play with nearly as much intensity as they did against the Devils on Friday night, but they did just enough against the Penguins to win 2-0. The victory vaults the Flyers into the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference and sets up a series against the Washington Capitals, who finished with fewer points than the Flyers yet still won their division.

The Penguins played without their star player, Sidney Crosby, and looked like they didn't want to win the game. They played with very little energy and even went 0 for 8 on the power play. Flyers goalie Martin Biron needed to stop only 20 shots to record his second shutout in a row. Offensively, Scottie Upshall scored a goal late in the second period off a faceoff, and Mike Knuble added an empty net goal at the end of the game.

If the Penguins had won, they would have clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference. It would have guaranteed them home ice advantage until they reached the Stanley Cup Finals. A win would have also meant they would play the Flyers in the first round, instead of their current opponent the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins would never admit it, but they are much happier playing the Senators than the Flyers. The Flyers would wear the Penguins down in a grueling series, so even if the Pens managed to get past Philly, they would be exhausted for the subsequent rounds. Playing the Senators allows Pittsburgh to play their style of hockey, and will keep them fresher for the later rounds.

The Flyers will meet the Capitals in the first round. The season series is tied 2-2 between the teams, with the Flyers outscoring the Caps 15-14 in those games. Alexander Ovechkin will make the Caps a tough team to beat, but they don't have much depth beyond him. I will post the schedule for the games as soon as it becomes available, and I will have an in-depth preview posted in the next few days.

Highlight of Scottie Upshall's game winning goal: