The script was all too familiar to the series. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals look to push their Metropolitan Division rivals to the brink of elimination on Monday when the series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3.
Advertisement
“[Kuznetsov] is starting to feel it a little bit”.
The convenient narrative is to say the Flyers’ late chairman would have been appalled, but his legacy includes some memorable meltdowns of his own in similar situations.
Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play to make it 5-1 and more bracelets came down, triggering the promised penalty for delay of game. “So, if he gets going, that will be another weapon we can really use right now”.
The Washington Capitals look to complete the sweep with another road victory. Evgeny Kuznetsov pounced and pounded in the goal for a 3-1 lead on just 18 shots. “And they (the Flyers) give us lots of practice”.
Ovechkin bounced over the boards and snapped a long-distance wrist shot from above the circle past Mason. 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.
How does Mason respond?: Flyers goaltender Steve Mason played pretty well up until his gaffe on Jason Chimera’s 101-foot goal, which turned out to be the game-winner in Game 2. Philly actually scored in the opening minute of the game, but that was a distant memory by the end of the night.
Orange shirts everywhere. Remembering and honoring Ed Snider. “I tried to put it to the corner and I messed up”.NOTES: With second-line C Sean Couturier (upper body injury) out, RW Brayden Schenn slid over to center and RW Sam Gagner moved from the third line to the second.
“We pulled the game away, and they weren’t interested in playing anymore, so we ended up on the power play for the last seven or eight minutes”, Trotz said.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us to come back home with the win and see what’s going to happen and who’s going to be next”, Ovechkin said.
“We’re here to win a hockey game”, captain Claude Giroux said.
Playoff hockey was back in Philadelphia. We can’t be looking that we’re down three nothing. The Caps have only reached the Stanley Cup finals once and were quickly ousted.
Lundqvist finished with 29 saves and showed no ill effects after getting accidentally slashed in the right eye by a teammate in Game 1, forcing him to leave after the first period.
Raffl knocked in the first shot of the game off Brandon Manning’s attempt from the point and 19,678 fans went wild. Sam Gagner got the secondary assist.
The first star was deemed to be John Carlson. Ovi’s his first goal of the night will be replayed to death and endlessly talked about, at least until the Capitals turn the National Mall into their private parade ground.
However, Simmonds took the energy out of the building 4:28 into the period by taking a holding minor that put the Flyers’ penalty kill to work.
Why so much trouble on the power play? The Caps almost had a shorthanded 2-on-1.
And that’s when things got ugly.
Mike Richards took a goalie interference penalty for running into Mason with 7.8 seconds left in the period. Our power play is not where it wants to be. Shots in the first period were 11-7 Flyers.
It’s the first time the team and its fans have reconvened since his passing last week.
At 2:48, Gudas was called for roughing Ovechkin in the defensive zone corner.
Carlson added another power-play goal later in the period.
Mason then struggled to glove a tough bounce, setting up an easy rebound and goal for Kuznetsov 1:58 into the final stanza.
The Capitals have a 2-0 lead in the series, but the return to Philly has always been the great unknown. Oshie got the lone assist.
Advertisement
Eventually, more plastic jewelry hit the ice. The Flyers went to their third power play on the interference penalty.
