Thursday, February 26, 2009

The One That Got Away

Caps Vs. Flyers, part 3: Verizon Center, February 24. The Caps scored early, thanks to Nicklas Backstrom's goal at just 1:48 in the first. The next tally came from Alex Ovechkin in the second, and the Caps' maintained their 2-0 lead halfway through the third. Then the Flyers took over, scoring four consecutive unanswered goals and stealing this game from the Caps.

It was a strange game. The Caps had several short-handed scoring opportunities, but couldn't collect on any of them. In fact, the most distinctive sound heard in Verizon Center on Tuesday was the "ding" of the puck hitting the post and deflecting back onto the ice at least five times. Guys that appeared to have open shots couldn't find the net, and it turns out a two-goal lead wasn't sufficient to come away with a win.

The penalty minutes racked up quickly, as the refs seemed determined to call anything that bore any resemblance to an actual infraction. Both teams enjoyed 5-on-3 advantages at times during the game, but only Philly could capitalize. Overall, it was a much better outing for the Caps than when last they met the Flyers -- in Philadelphia on December 20, when they lost 7-1. It was no less a disappointment, however, as Philly is the only team in the Eastern Conference against which Washington has a losing record this season (1-2-0).

The Caps will face the Flyers once more in the regular season, on March 12 in Philadelphia.

Final score: Caps 2, Flyers 4.

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