WASHINGTON (AP) – Going into the locker room at the first intermission, the Washington Capitals had no goals but all the momentum.
Advertisement
The Flyers failed to capitalize on three power plays in the opening period as they were shut down by the Caps’ penalty killers, who had the second-best success rate during the regular season at 85.2 per cent, which put them behind only the Anaheim Ducks.
John Carlson and Jay Beagle scored, Braden Holtby stopped 19 shots and the Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 on Thursday in Game 1 of their first round playoff series.
Holtby made 19 saves for his third career shutout in the playoffs. San Jose’s Joe Pavelski broke a tie with his second goal of the game early in the third period and the Sharks hung on to take an important 4-3 road win at Los Angeles. “I think when Whitey (Ryan White) takes a boarding penalty, those are the ones you can kill off. But for some reason those are the ones that come back to bite you”. He obviously stood on his head again tonight. “Those gave us momentum”.
The Capitals went four for four on the penalty kill and frustrated the Flyers, who got only eight shots on net after the first period.
Couturier’s status for Game 2 in Washington on Saturday is uncertain.
“There is no chance for Philadelphia to beat Washington unless they can get more than just from one line”, Mike Milbury of NBC Sports said on a conference call this week. “Go back to what you think works to get the win”.
The Capitals didn’t have to dig in, yet they still went 11-6-4 since the trade deadline. “We were staying aggressive and we didn’t allow them too much”. Never takes a shift off. Plays the game the right way. Carlson’s big blast deflected off defenseman Chris Vandevelde and past Steve Mason for a 1-0 lead at 16:21 of the period. “It’s a pick-me-up to start us off”. But in four chances, the Flyers’ power play managed just seven shots on goal.
“It’s a cat and mouse game now, and we’ve just got to keep up, and keep getting that sacrifice, keep executing on our clears”.
“It’s easier said than done”, Streit said. Couturier was constantly matched up against the Capitals first line while he was in the game and he did a pretty good job of limiting the first line.
In the 2 games Couturier did play against the Caps, he did very well against Ovechkin.
While the Capitals clinched the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout before another Eastern Conference team clinched a playoff spot, the Flyers have been all-in for months.
“We definitely have to key on certain guys that are risky guys when you’re out there, ” Schultz said. “Our focus should be squarely on trying to win the first game and anything past that, we will worry about when the first game is final”. Like most series in the Stanley Cup playoffs, this one could be decided by special teams. “I know [Coach Barry Trotz] talks to him regularly about managing his game, recognizing the moments in a game – to be physical to managing your emotion to reacting to when other people hit you”. Washington RW T.J. Oshie, who was hit by a puck in practice Wednesday, was in the lineup.
Advertisement
SNIDER ON THEIR MINDS: The Flyers learned of the death of founder and owner Ed Snider on Monday morning at the age of 83 following a two-year battle with bladder cancer.
