POSTGAME 5: Dominance in DC
Flyers dominate Caps in DC to earn 5-2 win and move within one point of the Division lead
by Bill Meltzer @BillMeltzer
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED
The Flyers extended their winning streak to seven consecutive games and moved within a single point of first place in the Metropolitan Division with an emotional 5-2 road victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
The Flyers went to the first intermission trailing 1-0 on a goal by Washington center Lars Eller. In the second period, goals by Travis Konecny (24th), Kevin Hayes (23rd) and Tyler Pitlick (8th) built a 3-1 lead for the Flyers before Garnet Hathaway got one back late in the frame. In the third period, Philadelphia pulled away on goals by Ivan Provorov (12th) and Scott Laughton (13th).
Brian Elliott earned his second road win over the Capitals this season, making 25 saves on 27 shots. Braden Holtby took the loss, stopping 24 of 29 shots.
Three Stars:
1st: Kevin Hayes (1g-1a)
2nd: Ivan Provorov (1g-1a)
3rd: Derek Grant (2a)
TURNING POINT
Konecny took a page from Danny Briere's old playbook of scoring a goal that counted very shortly after he had one disallowed. Konecny's power play rebound goal off a Provorov shot tied the game at 1-1 and opened the floodgates for the Flyers.Video: PHI@WSH: Konecny taps home rebound on power play
MELTZER'S TAKE
1) The opening period was very tight checking and cautious overall. The Flyers did a good job of killing two early penalties but, shortly after the second expired, Richard Panik's no-look pass to Lars Eller resulted in Eller beating Ellliott. The physical intensity picked up in the latter stages of the period.
2) Tom Wilson clearly deserved an instigator penalty (which carries an automatic 10-minute misconduct) for dropping the gloves well ahead of Nate Thompson after Wilson went after Thompson for a play in which Nick Jensen lost his balance and went into the end boards more so than being hit by Thompson.
3) The Flyers had several consecutive power plays in the second period, including a 12-second five-on-three. Konecny appeared to tie the game at 5:55 on a shot in which Holtby was sitting on the ice inside the net but the play was ruled no goal on the ice, and the ruling held upon review due to lack of conclusive evidence on where the puck was when it disappeared from view. Undaunted, Konecny potted a power play rebound at 7:06 to tie the game. Video: PHI@WSH: Hayes cleans up in front to give Flyers lead
4) Laughton was guilty of a turnover in the no-pass zone and it went the other way for what turned into a Hathaway goal at 18:32 of the second period as Washington drew back within 3-2.
5) The Flyers did an outstanding job in closing out the game in the third period. Between Elliott making 12 saves, the team opportunistically scoring two more goals, and the team largely containing Washington to the perimeter, it was a strong finish to an emotional game. Provorov made a good read to jump into the play, Voracek hit him with a perfect pass, and Provorov fired off a beautiful shot as the lead expanded to 4-2 at 6:36.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Flyers closed out the season series against the Capitals with three straight wins and points in all four contests, going 3-0-1, and outscored the Caps 16-7.
* James van Riemsdyk was injured (hand) in the first period and did not return to the game.
* The Flyers won their seventh consecutive game tonight and have outscored their opponent, 32-15 in this stretch.
* They have also scored four or more goals in seven straight games, marking the first time they have scored at least four goals in seven straight games since 1993.
* The Flyers scored a power-play goal for the fourth straight game and eighth time in the last nine games, going 11-for-28 (39.2%).
* Travis Konecny extended his point streak to four straight games (3g-4a), including five goals in his last seven.
* Nicolas Aube-Kubel has a four-game point streak (1g-3a)... Jake Voracek has seven assists in his last three games... Derek Grant has back-to-back multi-point games (1g-3a).
* The Flyers are right back in action now when they return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Puck drop is 7 p.m. on NBCSP or listen live on 93.3 WMMR.
THEY SAID IT
Video: Hear from Flyers coach following win over WSHVideo: Hear from Konecny, Provorov and Elliott following win