Caps Can't Hold Lead Against Flyers

Tuesday night at Verizon Center, the Flyers showed the Caps why they're probably the toughest match for Washington down the road. Philadelphia used some physical play late and crashed the net for a 4-2 win over Washington, using a style not dissimilar to how it escaped with a seven-game series victory last spring.

The Caps took a 2-0 lead 4:19 into the second period on Alex Ovechkin's 44th goal of the season, but it all began to unravel when Washington took some careless penalties halfway through the frame. Down 5-on-3 9:13 into the second period after Alex Semin took a delay-of-game penalty with Milan Jurcina already in the box, Claude Giroux's goal right inside the far post gave the Flyers new life. After Giroux's goal, Philadelphia controlled more of the tempo, and they pounced on the Caps early in the third with some open space in front of Jose Theodore to take the win.

The night started off well enough, as Nicklas Backstrom put the Caps on top 1:48 into the game on an early power play, converting a nice fake shot from Ovechkin, who dished the puck off and Backstrom got Antero Niittymaki to commit and put the puck over the fallen goalie for the lead. The Caps had some chances to extend their lead, but could not convert, including some prime chances while shorthanded, but Nittymaki kept the Flyers' streak of not allowing a goal with the man advantage this season intact.

However, early into the second period, Ovechkin scored another improbable goal, firing a shot off while being hit, but the puck still eluded Niittymaki for a 2-0 lead just 4:19 into the second period. Ovechkin's two points on the night gives him eight points in the last five games, with six goals and two helpers in that stretch.

But the momentum turned on after Giroux put the Flyers on the board, as a game that was more free-wheeling and to the Caps' liking started to get clogged in the neutral zone and the Flyers started to get their chances on Theodore and got deep in the Caps' zone.

Theodore was able to hold the lead until nine minutes into the third period, but Scott Hartnell evened the game at the 9:11 mark. It wasn't long before Philly got their first lead of the night as Jeff Carter scored his 35th of the season 1:25 later after being alone in front of Theodore, and then Aaron Asham extended the lead to 4-2 with 7:30 left in regulation.

The Caps' comeback was short-circuited by two late penalties, leading to just the second regulation loss to an Eastern Conference opponent at Verizon Center this season. Philadelphia is also currently the only team in playoff contention in the Eastern Conference to have a winning record against Washington (2-0-1). The third period resembled the first part of last year's playoff series, with the Flyers taking the Caps off their game and crashing the net effectively, with 37 shots on goal.

Fortunately for Washington, the loss is relatively minor compared to last spring with the team's playoff future still solid, as the Panthers failed to gain ground on the Caps with a 6-1 thumping by Boston.

But the Caps end the first part of this extended home-tilted part of their schedule Thursday when Atlanta comes to town. After the Thrashers pay a visit, Washington heads to Boston for a game Saturday afternoon, then returns home to start a four-game homestand with the Panthers Sunday to complete a tough stretch.