Jakub Voracek OT Goal Lifts Flyers Over Capitals
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jakub Voracek scored 38 seconds into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the NHL-leading Washington Capitals 4-3 on Wednesday night in the teams' final game before the All-Star break.
Voracek's second goal of the night snapped the Flyers' three-game losing streak and the Capitals' two-game winning streak. Brayden Schenn and Ryan White also scored for Philadelphia.
Despite 28 saves from Braden Holtby, the Caps lost at home for the first time since Nov. 19 against the Dallas Stars. Andre Burakovsky had two goals and Nicklas Backstrom scored his 16th of the season.
Philadelphia's Michal Neuvirth stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced to beat his former team for the first time.
Coming off an eight-day layoff, it wasn't shocking that the Caps got off to a sluggish start. An early power-play goal by Schenn made it 1-0 Flyers, and then a turnover by Evgeny Kuznetsov served up White for his fifth goal of the season that Holtby had no chance of stopping.
Washington didn't take a shot for almost 10 minutes in the first period, then got 11 in a row on goal against Neuvirth to start the second. A Philadelphia turnover allowed Burakovsky to score, and then a wide-open Backstrom tied it 55 seconds later.
Holtby, who hadn't taken two minor penalties in any NHL season, was whistled for two in four minutes. Tripping Matt Read saved a goal, and Holtby made more highlight-reel stops on the delayed penalty.
Penalties didn't hurt the Caps as much as icing the puck, and Voracek scored off the faceoff late in the second period to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead. The Caps tied it early in the third when Kuznetsov fed Burakovsky on a perfect 2-on-1 rush.
Kuznetsov appeared to knock the stick out of Holtby's hand before Voracek's game-winner. Officials reviewed the play, but the goal stood.
NOTES: Caps forward Marcus Johansson sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return. ... Caps defenseman John Carlson returned after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. ... Caps defenseman Karl Alzner broke the franchise record by playing his 423rd consecutive game. All-time NHL iron man Doug Jarvis and ex-Washington iron man Bobby Carpenter congratulated Alzner with video messages. ... Flyers center Sean Couturier missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury.
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