The schedule for the series has not yet been released, but the Capitals will host the first two games of the series, as well as the fifth and seventh games if necessary.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Early in the third period, a Flyers fan held up a sign directed at Washington that read, “You’ll choke”.
The Flyers shut out the Capitals from Games 4-6.
Michal Neuvirth made a playoff-career-high 44 saves and the Flyers beat the Capitals 2-0 in Game 5 on Friday night to one again avoid elimination in their first-round series.
The Capitals completed a 4-2 win in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series and set up a meeting with the Pittsburgh Penguins that will pit Capitals star Alex Ovechkin against the Penguins’ Sydney Crosby.
Huge is a good word to describe what is ahead versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, as would be any number of other descriptions about the Caps’ next opponents: War.
The Flyers went just 1 for 24 on the power play in the series, their only goal coming on Gostisbehere’s one-timer to open the scoring in Game 4. The Flyers announced that they would have an update on Laughton’s condition in the next couple of days.
Neuvirth was singlehandedly the reason for that as he sprawled to stop Karl Alzner, denied Ovechkin and robbed Marcus Johansson in the second period. The Flyers won game four 2-1 as Neuvirth made 31 saves on 32 ss. Game 6 should be highly intriguing for those questions alone. The Flyers wasted nearly two minutes of a 5-on-3 power play in the second period. “If we play like that, next game, we should be fine”. “When you get goaltending like that, you’ve got a chance to win every night”. We’ve got to go into Philadelphia and we’ve got to play really well and get a win there.
“It’s a different group”.
“He gave us life,” captain Claude Giroux said. Despite their victory, Philadelphia only got off 10 shots against Braden Holtby while Washington took 44 shots versus Michal Neuvrith.
After taking over for Steve Mason after a 6-1 loss in Game 3, Neuvirth surrendered just two goals in three games, seeing 105 shots … and stopping 103. When the final buzzer sounded and the Capitals rightfully went to mob their goaltender, the Flyers congregated around Neuvirth, who was marvelous in all three of his appearances in the playoffs.
The power play ended when White came up with a hook of his own.
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. The Flyers missed both shots with a two-man advantage. They got out-shout 16 to 2.
Hakstol routinely credited the pressure Washington’s penalty killers put on the puck. “I think that showed”, Washington forward Daniel Winnik said.
Devan Dubnyk made 37 saves for Minnesota.
The hooking penalty gave the Flyers, who had already killed a Capitals 5-on-3 at the end of the first period and into the beginning of the second, two full minutes of a 5-on-3 advantage, but their dormant offense failed to capitalize.
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“A lot of young guys on this team have never played in the playoffs before”, Neuvirth said.
