After sending the Wells Fargo Center into an uproar with a goal 57 seconds following puck drop, the Flyers slowly uncoiled en route to a 6-1 loss to the Capitals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series in which they now trail 3-0.
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Meanwhile, the Flyers now trail the Capitals 3-0 in a series that had already been slipping away from them. In fact, in Game 2 the Caps doubled their high-danger scoring chances from Game 1, though Philly’s count jumped from 4 to 14. All three games Monday night saw goals scored in the opening minute …
They didn’t listen. After Ovechkin scored his second power-play goal of the night, more detritus flew from the stands as he simply raised his stick in the air.
“When you’re not disciplined enough, you’re going to get punished”, the Flyers’ Mark Streit was saying afterward. Pleas from Flyers announcer Lou Nolan would not even stop the fans, and after Ovechkin scored to increase the Caps’ lead to 5-1, the officials were forced to call a delay-of-game penalty on the fans when more bracelets hit the ice.
The Flyers hoped to ride a wave of emotion in their first home game after the death of team chairman Ed Snider.
The Caps were 2-for-2 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. When they continued, Nolan punctuated the announcement of the penalty: “Way to go”.
The Flyers hung a banner outside the arena with Snider’s picture and the caption “A Flyer Forever”. His silhouette was inside the Flyers logo for the customary playoff T-shirt giveaway, and some fans left flowers and cards at a makeshift memorial next to the team flag. Snider’s initials have been painted in the trapezoids behind each net and players will wear commemorative patches, recognizing a man who had formed strong relationships with many of his players. Kate Smith and Lauren Hart. After managing 11 points in his first 46 games of the season, Haula finished the regular season with 23 points (10 G, 13 A) in his last 30 games. He knocked in the first shot of the game off Brandon Manning’s attempt from the point. Just like that, Ovechkin added a much needed goal midway through the second, scoring his ninth goal in the last nine games played, providing what would be the game-winner to key the Caps to 3-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Once the crowd and the Flyers settled down, the Capitals got going and looked every bit as dominant as they had all season.
“They had a special moment, a tough moment, for them, and we tried to handle it”, Ovechkin said. “That is also a credit to them for their forecheck and how well they pressure and pinch with their ‘D, ‘ but I think if we clean a couple things up, it will give us the puck a little bit more”. The puck was being wrapped around the boards and squirted right in front of Mason, allowing Kuznetsov to score in tight. Ten minutes into the third, Streit again takes a soft path to the puck and is bested by Daniel Winnik and Jay Beagle. Braden Holtby chose to contribute on both ends of the ice when he launched a hard pass to Justin Williams, who was standing at the blue line on the Flyers’ end. Mason had 21 saves.
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Getting down in a series seems to bring out the best of the Los Angeles Kings. Their best players – not just Giroux, but Wayne Simmonds and Jake Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Shayne Gostisbehere, their No. 1 power-play unit – were going to have to create the kind of offense that no coach can design. “It’s history for a reason”, Chimera said. Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik (upper-body) left in the game in the second period.
