The Flyers managed to kill what was being looked at as their best comeback of the decade. Well it's only been three months, but that's beside the point.
After giving up three weak goals in the first twenty-two minutes of the game the Flyers found themselves starring at a new top seed in the Eastern Conference. This led to Lavy pull the hook and Bobrovsky was relieved by Brian Boucher early in the second.
Unsettled by the game, Kris Versteeg took matters into his hands and put the puck in the back of the net to propel the Flyers comeback hopes. With the Flyers swarming it was Andreas Nodl who found a wide-open Claude Giroux to make it a one goal game in the dying seconds of the 2nd period.
Heading into the 3rd the Flyers were carrying all of the momentum and quickly went to work with it. The run was capitalized when Andreas Nodl scored his 11th goal of the season and second since 2010.
With spirits high, the Flyers kept pushing but now with hopes to take the lead. After numerous chances, it was Danny Briere who have the Flyers a late 3rd period lead on a deflected shot off the stick of Kimmo Timonen.
Flyers fans have seen this play out too many times as of late and they were not eager to see it again. The Flyers legs seemed to stop working as they played very relaxed at both ends of the ice. The Caps took advantage and with less than five minutes left in the 3rd period they tied it up at 4.
Nothing was settled in overtime and to the shootout we went. This was the Flyers third straight game in a shootout,going 1-1 over that span. The Caps had their way with Bouch, lighting him up with all three shots they had sent his way. The Flyers could not match the Caps ways but did manage to get two by in the shootout. And so the game ended with the Capitals taking the final meeting of the regular season, tying the teams with 2 wins a piece.
The Spotlight is on...
The net play and this loss adds to the Flyers goal tending worries. First Bob gave up two bad goals as he still has yet to master positioning that will make him successful. Then Boucher let a bad goal in to allow the Caps back into the game and followed it up with a terrible shootout showing. With confidence dwindling in both of these guys, which one will step up? What about Mike Leighton?
Final - Shootout
Washington Capitals 5
Philadelphia Flyers 4
Flyers Goals: Versteeg(19) Giroux(24) Nodl(11) Briere(32)
OTL: Boucher (Relieved Bobrovsky in 2nd)
East Standings (Games Remaining - Points)
1)PHI 10-97
2)WSH 8-96
4)PIT 9-92
Next Game: Thursday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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