Caps 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
Another game, another overtime victory. Is that a dozen already this season? Only seems that way. Washington improved to 5-0 in overtime games thanks to defenseman Mike Green’s game-winner just 29 seconds into the extra period. Read all the details here in our game story – especially about the play of rookie goalie Braden Holtby in his first NHL start.
The 21-year-old stopped 23 of 25 shots and while he certainly had some adventurous moments in the first two periods he made a few big saves when the Flyers turned up the heat midway through the third period. Holtby gave up two goals on his first eight shots and then stopped the next 17.
“I knew it was going to happen sooner or later,” Holtby said of the Flyers’ first goal. “I came into the game hoping for a victory and I knew I wasn’t going to get a shutout in my first game. Came in and just tried to get the victory and work my way up.”
It’s the second time during Bruce Boudreau’s tenure in Washington that his team has won five overtime games in a row. It had six in a row from Jan. 5, 2008 to Feb. 10, 2008. Green’s five OT winners tie him for second-most in franchise history with Kelly Miller and Peter Bondra. Only Alex Ovechkin (8) has more. It was goal No. 4 for Green on the season.
Alexander Semin continued his Good Sasha routine on Sunday with an easy goal on a set-up by Nicklas Backstrom. That gives Semin a team-high nine goals already and one in each of the last four games. His career-best goal streak? Six games in a row from Feb. 26 to March 8, 2009.
Ovechkin had an assist and sits at 18 points through 14 games. He now has 547 career points early in his sixth season in Washington. That ties Mike Ridley for sixth place in franchise history – though Ovechkin reached that mark in just 410 career games. Backstrom’s two assists lifted him to 14 points overall. Credit David Steckel for winning 8 of 10 faceoffs on Sunday.
The Caps are up to 10-4-0 with 20 points and tied with the Flyers (9-4-2, 20 points) atop the Eastern Conference. The loss snapped Philadelphia’s six-game winning streak.
One concern: Brooks Laich didn’t play in the third period with what the team said was an upper-body injury. Laich insisted he could go back in, but team doctors said no dice. Will find out more tomorrow at the team’s morning practice.
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