The NHL world can’t wait.
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Yet the Flyers stayed alive because the Capitals scored two goals in the series’ final three games with an extra emphasis on blocking shots, something they did 125 times. “(There were) a couple of good chances but just not good enough”.
Radko Gudas had 10 hits, giving him 30 for the series, which is tied for second among players in the playoffs….
Consider, the Penguins scored 11 goals total in their final two decisive wins against NY.
And we’ll have a hockey game at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon. “They weren’t expected to get here at all, coming back through the last few games to get into the playoffs and get the last seed”, said Matt from Cherry Hill, who was just happy for the opportunity to watch some playoff hockey.
The Flyers even getting to a playoff series seemed highly unlikely at the start of the calendar year when they were nine points out of contention. Their goal is certainly not over, as all teams shoot for the Stanley Cup, but this improbable comeback should satisfy everyone involved in the organization.
Early in the third period, a Flyers fan held up a sign directed at Washington that read, “You’ll choke”. “That past was a different regime, basically a different team completely”. “We are trying to write our own history”.
Crosby and Ovechkin bring the star power. But, in the end it was No. 73 that did his team in, as the Capitals won by a score of 1-0 to close out their series.
But the most wonderful part is the Flyers still won, thanks to goalie Michal Neuvirth standing on his head. The Caps had 14 shots to the Flyers 6; both teams had multiple power plays.
The Philadelphia Flyers were outshot by a 4-to-1 margin, suffered through a 17-minute shot drought, continued to be inept on the power play and had to rely on the errant skate blade of a Washington Capitals defenseman to find the back of the net.
“We have lots of perimeter shots, but we don’t have traffic in front of the net”, Ovechkin said. “We have to go into Philadelphia and we have to play really well and get a win there”. Holtby shut the door on the Flyers in the third period, stopping 11 shots and turning away chances in the waning moments of the game.
The Flyers admit Game 5 was not one of their better efforts.
Veteran Justin Williams, who should know better, had just finished serving his fourth minor of the game when the Flyers took a 1-0 lead at 7:52 of the second period.
Philly produced only three shots on goal with the two-man advantage.
Well, they’re halfway home after Friday night’s stunning 2-0 victory at the Verizon Center, fueled by goaltender Michal Neuvirth’s franchise record 44-save shutout performance.
The Flyers’ top line – Giroux centering Brayden Schenn and Simmonds – continued to struggle.
The Capitals’ penalty kill deserved credit, too. “Holtby made some big saves and that was the turning point”.
They had three power plays in the first period of Game 1, a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:07 in Game 2 and a power play 32 seconds after Voracek scored later in the game that cut the Capitals’ lead to 2-1.
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“I believe in myself”, Neuvirth said after the win. I thought tonight we played excellent.
