3 reasons why Washington Capitals won 6-3 against Philadelphia Flyers
The Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 at the Capital One Arena on Wednesday night. The Capitals built a 4-0 lead early in the second period. However, the Flyers clawed their way back to make it 4-3 before the Caps iced the game.
Taylor Raddysh, Nic Dowd, Connor McMichael, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and captain Alex Ovechkin got the goals for the Washinton Capitals. Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov replied for the Flyers.
So, let’s take a look at the three reasons why the Washington Capitals skated away with the win on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
3 reasons why Washington Capitals defeated Philadelphia Flyers
#3. The Capitals survived the Flyers’ onslaught
The Capitals outplayed the Flyers in the first period and early second. However, the Flyers turned up the heat as they tried to get back into the game. The Flyers scored three unanswered goals to make the game close.
But that’s when the Capitals buckled down and played a much tighter game. The Capitals managed to survive the Flyers’ pressure, especially in the third period, to pull away with two empty-netters.
Ultimately, the game was much closer than the score suggested, with the Washington Capitals shoring up the defensive miscues from the second period.
#2. Logan Thompson held the fort
Logan Thompson got the call for the Caps on Wednesday night. While his performance wasn’t brilliant, he bailed out his teammates when he had to. A good example came in the second period when Thompson made a huge breakaway save.
Similarly, Thompson stood tall during the third period to keep the Caps ahead. Thompson’s efforts earned him the game’s second star, after making 26 saves. It’s worth pointing out that Wednesday night’s game was Thompson’s third start of the season. The solid performance earned Thompson his third win of the year, despite not having outstanding stats.
#1. The Capitals made the most of their opportunities
Overall, the Flyers outplayed the Washington Capitals. The Flyers had an edge shot-wise, 29-26, won close to 62% of the draws, and went 2-for-4 with the man advantage. Moreover, the Flyers outhit the Caps 32-16, while committing fewer penalties.
Still, the Capitals beat the Flyers where it mattered most. The Caps took advantage of the early defensive miscues by Philadelphia, getting all the offense they needed. For example, the McMichael goal started with a broken play in the Capitals’ zone.
As McMichael streaked through the neutral zone, Dylan McIlrath hit McMichael with the lead pass for the breakaway. The Flyers’ defensemen were caught pinching on the previous play, allowing McMichael to beat Ivan Fedotov on the 1-on-1.
The 5-1 Capitals will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in their next game on Saturday night at the Amelie Arena in Florida.