Capitals 2, Flyers 0
WASHINGTON -- John Carlson and Jay Beagle scored, Braden Holtby stopped 18 shots and the Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 in Game 1 of their opening round playoff series.
Holtby, who tied the NHL record with 48 regular-season wins, helped the Capitals kill off four Philadelphia power plays as he picked up his third career postseason shutout.
Flyers goaltender Steve Mason was solid as well, finishing with 29 saves.
With the Capitals pressuring in the Philadelphia end late in the second period, the puck deflected off the stick of Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning and into the crowd. The officials conferred briefly and Manning was sent to the box for delay of game at 16:02.
Only 19 seconds later, Carlson's blast from the point deflected off a Philadelphia's Chris VandeVelde and skittered by Mason to give Washington the lead.
The Capitals picked up some insurance with 3:23 left when Beagle beat Mason with a wrist shot from the slot.
Marcus Johansson had two assists.
Sean Couturier, the Flyers second-line center, left in the second period with what appeared to be a left arm injury and did not return.
Thursday's opener was a tight game between teams that took different paths to the playoffs.
Washington amassed 120 points during the season. They were playing their first meaningful game since clinching the Presidents' Cup on March 28, and won just two of their final seven regular-season games (2-2-3).
The eighth-seeded Flyers were five points out of a playoff spot on Feb. 25 and went 15-5-3 in their final 23 games to earn a wild-card spot on the last weekend of the regular season.
The Capitals were whistled for three penalties in the first period, including two by Brooks Orpik, but the Flyers couldn't cash in against what was the league's second best penalty-killing unit during the regular season.
With less than two minutes left in the period and the teams at equal strength, Holtby stopped Matt Read from point blank range to keep the game scoreless.
Washington failed on its first man-advantage early in the second, but kept the pressure on throughout the period as they outshot the Flyers 14-4.
The Capitals were 1 for 6 on the power play.
NOTES: The Capitals and Flyers are meeting in the postseason for the fifth time, and the first since the 2008 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, which Philadelphia won in seven games. ... Washington RW T.J. Oshie, who was hit by a puck in practice Wednesday, was in the lineup. The Capitals scratched D Taylor Chorney, D Mike Weber, C Michael Latta and RW Stanislav Galiev. ... The Flyers wore a jersey patch in honor of team founder and chairman Ed Snider, who died Monday at the age of 83. ... Philadelphia scratches included C Jordan Weal, C R.J. Umberger, LW Scott Naughton and D Evgeny Medvedev. ... The teams split four regular season meetings with Philadelphia's wins coming in overtime and a shootout.