Caps vs Flyers

Round 1, Game 4 Live Blog: Caps at Flyers

Photo: Elsa

Unfortunately, we are still in Philadelphia for Game Four, where at any minute you could be hit in the face by a glowing plastic bracelet. Let’s hope the Caps can get out of that city tonight not only securing their health and safety, but also with a ticket to the 2nd round.

As I have said previously, only 4 teams in the history of the NHL have been able to come from behind and win a series after starting down 3 games to none. Let’s not put any ideas into the heads of the Flyers and their fans, and just further end their hopes and dreams tonight.

Michal Neuvirth starts for Philly, Taylor Chorney is in for Brooks Orpik and Pierre Hit From Behind Bellemare isn’t. Liveblog below.

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By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago

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Washington Capitals v Philadelphia Flyers

Photo: Len Redkoles

The photo above is from a Caps-Flyers game in December 2009. It was Peter Laviolette’s first game as head coach of the Flyers. With the score tied in the first period, Philadelphia’s Dan Carcillo suckerpunched Washington’s Matt Bradley. Bradley was hurt, but the Capitals responded as they thought best.

They won 8-2.

I think of that game a lot. I think of how the team was done wrong and they found justice in the form of goals. Tons of goals.

RMNB started publishing the next week.

I’m done with thrown bracelets. I’m done with unruly fans. I’m done with penalty minutes you measure in hours. Done with late hits, working the refs, and ghost bears.

I’m done with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Tonight the Capitals will join me in this notion. With a win, the Caps can secure their first ever four-game sweep and advance to the next round.

Puck drop at 7 PM on CSN-DC.

Team	Record	Possession	PDO	Power Play	Penalty Kill
Washington Capitals	56-18-8	52.0%	101.1	21.9% (5th)	85.2% (2nd)
Philadelphia Flyers	41-27-14	50.1%	100.5	18.9% (11th)	80.5% (20th)

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By Peter Hassett 7 years ago

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Michal Neuvirth is Starting Game Four

Flyers beat reporter Dave Isaac broke the news: Steve Mason is out, and Michal Neuvirth is in.

Looking like #Flyers Game 4 starter is Michal Neuvirth.

— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) April 20, 2016

So it’ll be Holtby vs Neuvirth tonight. Prepare yourselves.

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By Peter Hassett 7 years ago

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Power Play Dominance Has Led Caps to 3-0 Series Lead

Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

Before the series between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers began, we took a look at the special teams of both squads. Since then, three games have been played; three Capitals wins have been tallied; eight goals have been scored on the power play by the Caps, none for Philly. To say the power play has been just a factor in the series is underselling it.

In that pre-series write-up, we identified a triangle plus one formation for the Flyers’ penalty kill, a penalty kill that relies on getting in lanes to disrupt shots instead of putting pressure on the player holding the puck. They have been torched.

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By Spenser Smallwood 7 years ago

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Evgeny Kuznetsov: ‘Our Fans Have More Class’

Photo: Elsa

Monday night at Wells Fargo Center, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his first goal in 22 games. It was a gift from the Hockey Gods. Kuznetsov scored after a Justin Williams dump-in took a strange bounce off the boards. The puck ricocheted to Kuznetsov, who was skating alone towards the front of the net. Using sublime patience, Kuznetsov tucked the puck past Steve Mason’s outstretched pad, giving the Caps a back-breaking 3-1 third period lead.

Several minutes later, Kuznetsov was on the ice when he saw his friend, Dmitry Orlov, get shoved headfirst into the boards by Pierre-Édouard Bellemare. As Orlov received medical attention on the bench, a Flyers fan threw a bracelet from the stands, striking Orly in the left cheek.

In the locker room, Kuznetsov conducted a Russian-language interview with SovSport’s Natalia Bragilevskaya and spoke about how the game turned into a sideshow in the third period.

“No fan would be happy when his team is losing,” Kuznetsov said. “That’s how it happened, but it is on their conscience. Our fans have more class.”

Kuznetsov also seemed to be genuinely touched and heart-broken by the pre-game ceremony honoring Flyers owner Ed Snider.

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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Alex Ovechkin on Becoming the Franchise Leader in Playoff Points: ‘I Don’t Care’

Photo: Len Redkoles

Monday night during Game Three, Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and tallied an assist on a John Carlson power play marker. The three points gave Ovechkin 74 in his postseason career, giving the Great Eight sole possession of the franchise lead. Ovechkin, who now owns almost every major Capitals record, has two more postseason points than the previous record-holder, Dale Hunter.

Hunter, a 19-year veteran and a successful junior hockey league bench boss, coached Ovechkin during the 2011-12 season. He also is the only Capitals captain to take the team to the Stanley Cup Finals.

This record must have meant a lot to Ovechkin, right?

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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Pierre-Édouard Bellemare Suspended One Game for Illegal Check From Behind on Dmitry Orlov

Photo: Matt Slocum

Late in the third period of Game Three, Flyers forward Pierre-Édouard Bellemare delivered a reckless hit on Dmitry Orlov, driving the Capitals defenseman’s head into the end boards. He was assessed a five minute major for checking from behind and a game misconduct with a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Tuesday. In the evening, the NHL delivered its verdict.

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By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

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Dmitry Orlov on Flyers Third Period Sideshow: ‘That’s Not Hockey; I Don’t Even Know What to Call It’

Monday night at Wells Fargo Center, Dmitry Orlov became the target of the Philadelphia Flyers’ rage, as Pierre-Édouard Bellemare sent the Caps defenseman headfirst into the boards. As Orlov received medical attention on the bench, a Flyers fan threw a bracelet from the stands, striking Orly in the left cheek. Although bloodied, Orlov remained in the game and later assisted on a power-play goal by Jay Beagle, making the final score 6-1.

In the locker room, Orlov conducted a Russian-language interview with SovSport’s Natalia Bragilevskaya and spoke about how the game turned into a sideshow in the third period.

“Sometimes you just want to get the puck,” Orlov said. “But when they play dirty against you, that’s not hockey. I don’t even know what to call it. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Orlov confirmed he was “fine,” but said he’d prefer the Caps not “prolong this series.”

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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Braden Holtby Left Practice After Collision, Then Tom Wilson Smiled at CSN’s Chuck Gormley

Braden Holtby has saved 91 of 93 shots this series, good for a .978 save percentage, which isn’t bad when you think about it.

Cut to Tuesday’s practice at Wells Fargo Center. Holtby reportedly left about ten minutes in after colliding with a teammate. Holtby was seen favoring his left leg.

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By Peter Hassett 7 years ago

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Radko Gudas Tried to Fight Andre Burakovsky After Dmitry Orlov Got Boarded

Late in the third period, Game Three turned into a sideshow. Pierre-Édouard Bellemare checked Dmitry Orlov from behind, shoving the Caps defenseman head first into the boards. The two teams brawled in the corner while Orlov lay on the ice, dazed.

Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick called Bellemare’s hit disgusting and “totally inexcusable.” And if you thought that wasn’t bad enough, Radko Gudas tried to fight skill forward Andre Burakovsky during the chaos.

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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