Last time the Caps met the Flyers, Washington held a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, but couldn't hold off Philadelphia's attack and ended up dropping two points in the process.
This time around up I-95 at the Wachovia Center, the Capitals made that slim one-goal lead hold up in the last 20 mintues, evening the season series with the Flyers at 2-2-0 and giving the team a fifth straight road win for its longest streak since late in the 2000-01 season.
Alex Ovechkin also moved just two goals shy of his third career 50-goal season with the eventual game-winner with 2:41 left in the second period, and after each team had an apparent goal washed out by the officials in the third, the Capitals managed to kill a very late Philadelphia power play to seal the victory and earn their 90th point of the season - something they didn't do until their 80th game last season.
After a tentative start to the game, Washington opened up the scoring late in the first period. With Aaron Asham in the box for hooking, Brooks Laich fired one past Marty Biron with 4:03 left in the frame on the Capitals' first power-play chance of the game for a 1-0 lead.
Philadelphia evened the score just over halfway through the second on a nifty play, as Mike Knuble converted a Mike Richards pass past Jose Theodore for the equalizer with 8:28 left in the period. However, it didn't take long for the Caps to reclaim the lead, as Ovechkin fired a shot past Biron less than six minutes later to give Washington a 2-1 lead heading into the second intermission with his 48th of the season.
In a strange third period, the Capitals had an apparent goal washed out halfway through the stanza when it was ruled Michael Nylander landed on top of Biron before Tomas Fleischmann beat the Flyers' goalie to quash a potential insurance goal. However, just couple of minutes later, the Flyers returned the favor of having an apparent goal of their own washed out on a Knuble interference call with 7:32 to play, keeping the score at 2-1.
The Caps couldn't build on the lead despite some good chances - but also giving up a prime scoring chance with the extra man and Knuble in the box. The Flyers got a chance of their own to net the equalizer when Nicklas Backstrom got whistled for interference with 4:02 to play. But Theodore, who recorded 35 saves, was strong and the Capitals held off the pressure, and Washington got some good scoring chances after the successful kill and limited Philadelphia's shots once they could get Biron out of the goal for the extra attacker.
The victory is the Capitals' fifth away from home, and the Caps will head home to face the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night at home looking to break a four-game skid at Verizon Center.
With the win, the Capitals also move to 12 points ahead of the Hurricanes and 13 points ahead of the Panthers after those teams both lost Thursday night, meaning if the team gets 16 points in their last 13 games, they clinch their second straight Southeast Division title regardless of how Carolina and Florida fare down the strech.
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