Flyers Complete Comeback and Defeat Capitals in Overtime

Brady TretteneroApril 1, 2013

0 2 minutes read

Ruslan Fedotenko scored 1:34 into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers came back from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals Sunday evening at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers pull within two points of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Trailing 4-2 with less than thirteen minutes remaining in the game, the Flyers got goals from Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen to knot the game up at four. Captain Claude Giroux scored on the power-play with 12:48 to go in the third period and Kimmo Timonen blasted a slapshot by Caps goaltender Braden Holbty with just 10 seconds remaining in regulation to even the score. The Flyers won 5-4.

Kimmo Timonen had four points on the night including the game tying goal with ten seconds left as well as an assist on the overtime wining tally. Despite throwing his water bottle in frustration after an Alex Ovechkin power-play goal, Ilya Bryzgalov was able to make 25 saves overall to help his team to victory

The Capitals opened the scoring 4:29 in when Nicklas Backstrom redirected a shot by Bryzgalov. It was only the 6^th goal of the season for Backstrom but it gave the Capitals an important one goal lead. The Flyers were quick to respond, however, as Maxime Talbot jumped on a loose puck in the Washington crease to even the game up.

Matt Read would score his second goal in as many games under five minutes later when he took a breakaway pass from Giroux and beat Holtby. Mike Green would put the score even once again though in the second period when he buried one by Bryz on a breakaway of his own. Green had just finished serving a penalty and took a nice pass from Brooks Laich to break in all alone on the Flyers goaltender.

Things turned ugly in the third period when Jakub Voracek went after Steve Olesky for hitting Flyers captain Claude Giroux. The hit appeared clean but Voracek drew exception and ended up instigating a fight with the Capitals youngster .The Flyers leading scorer ended up being given a misconduct on the play.

Flyers Complete Comeback and Defeat Capitals in Overtime — The Flyers celebrate Timonen’s game tying goal with ten seconds remaining in the third period.
(Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Voracek’s action gave the Capitals a four minute power-play and they capitalized. Marcus Johansson was the first Capital to strike as he jumped on brutal turnover by Giroux. The blind pass from Giroux went right on the stick of the Caps forward who took the puck right in and beat Bryzgalov. Ovechkin launched a slapshot under a minute later by Bryz and extended the Capitals lead to two. Those two power-play goals seemed to put the game away.

The Flyers were not done though as they got a goal from Giroux and one from Timonen late to send the game to overtime. In the extra frame, the ageless Timonen spotted an open Fedotenko cross-ice. The veteran feathered the pass to Fedotenko who put it into an open net. The goal completed the comeback and helped the Flyers win 5-4.

Game Notes:

After that brutal turnover, Claude Giroux redeemed himself with a power-play goal and by notching the primary assist on Timonen’s game tying tally. The Flyers captain finished with three points on the night. If the Flyers look to seriously contend for that final playoff spot, Giroux will need be a difference maker every night
The Flyers lost Maxime Talbot to a lower-body injury late in the second period. Talbot did not return to the game. It was then reported on Monday that Talbot is out indefinitely with a broken leg
Kent Huskins made his Flyers debut where he logged 16:02 of ice time and was minus one

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