They know this season wasn’t supposed to result in a playoff berth, that their team was outmanned in this series, and that the future for the organization is promising. The intensity of the series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals has only escalated in each game.
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“We were in the box a lot”, Tom Wilson, who did not receive any infractions, said. “It keeps me in the game”, Neuvirth said. “I think to improve we just have to follow that path”.
They weathered a torrential storm by the Flyers, sustaining seven of their 26 shots on goal, and nine other attempts, over the final nine minutes.
Voracek moved to the top line and Simmonds dropped down to the second unit in the third period. “We knew that they like to run two very specific plays and we had what we thought was a way to stop it and it worked pretty good”. “When you get goaltending like that, you’ve got a chance to win every night”. However it would have to roll over in the start of the second period, as they could not find a way to get it past Neuvirth. 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. The Wild went to Dallas and jumped out to a 2-0 lead before rallying to force overtime.
Martin Jones made 19 saves and Melker Karlsson added an empty-net goal for the Sharks, who will next face the victor of the Anaheim Ducks’ series with the Nashville Predators.
Backstrom’s goal broke a shutout streak of more than 106 minutes for Neuvirth.
“We would have liked to have scored on our power play, but I think that (the five on three) is kind of where we didn’t put the puck in the back of the net, ” Simmonds said. “Our focus is on our game and what we need to do”. Justin Williams took three minors for high sticking, plus another penalty for goalie interference. While the Flyers’ power play never got on track and went 1 for 24 in the series (see story), the Capitals’ man advantage finished 8 for 27.
To make matters worse for them, they called White for holding the stick of Niskanen. Now, the pressure shifts to Washington, which has a history of playoff failure that the organization is trying to shake.
Coach Dave Hakstol said he needed “a few days” to let everything sink in before making an evaluation of the season and his experiences.
The Flyers have done that the last two games, reducing Washington to five power plays in Games Four and Five. “It was unfortunate we didn’t get that going”.
Holtby won his 20th game in the playoffs, “tying Olie Kolzig for most in Capitals history”. The Flyers and Caps played in a game seven back in 2008 where the Flyers won on a overtime game-winner by Joffrey Lupul.
Early in the third period, a fan held up a sign, directed at the Capitals, that was shown on the scoreboard: “You’ll Choke”, it read.
On Sunday, they lost by the narrowest of margins – 1-0 to the East’s top-seeded Washington Capitals – in a game that kind of underlined their shortcomings in the postseason.
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The Kings weren’t as fortunate, losing 6-3 to the Sharks. In Game 1, he knocked Flyers center Sean Couturier out for the series, with a powerful but clean hit.
