Flyers 2, Capitals 1
PHILADELPHIA -- A change in goaltenders, some special teams success and a pair of goals from defensemen ignited Philadelphia to a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center Wednesday night, helping the Flyers stave off elimination.
The Capitals, who had a 3-0 series lead in a best-of-7 series for the first time in franchise history, couldn't complete their first-ever sweep.
Instead, they have a chance to do it on home ice Friday night.
T.J. Oshie put a loose puck by Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth with a backhand 2:38 into the third period to cut a Flyers 2-0 lead in half.
From there, the Flyers held on after a furious third-period Capitals rally.
Neuvirth, who replaced Flyers goalie Steve Mason for Game 4, made 12 of his 31 saves in the third period, including a key save in tight on a Tom Wilson rebound with 7:50 to play. He stopped a Mike Richards shot in the slot two minutes later.
Washington outshot Philadelphia 32-25, including 12-4 in the third period. The Flyers went the final 17:46 without a shot on net in the offensive zone.
Philadelphia finally broke an 0-for-13 power-play drought in the first period. With Washington defenseman Taylor Chorney in the box for an interference penalty, Flyers rookie Shayne Gostisbehere, who celebrated his 23rd birthday Wednesday, took a pass from Claude Giroux and fired a one-timer past Braden Holtby for a 1-0 Flyers lead 5:51 into the game.
The Flyers' other goal also came on a one-timer from a defenseman. Wayne Simmonds fed Andrew MacDonald at the point 3:51 into the second period, and MacDonald's shot beat a screened Holtby for a 2-0 lead.
A scary injury caused a brief delay in the first period. With 3:49 left, Flyers forward Scott Laughton, after what appeared to be incidental contact with Washington defenseman John Carlson, lost his footing and went crashing hard into the boards behind the Washington net.
Laughton was face-down on the ice for several minutes and was tended to by team trainer Jim McCrossin and two staff doctors. Laughton, 21, was eventually taken off the ice on a stretcher.
The Flyers announced after the opening period that Laughton, who had 21 points in 71 regular season games, was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for "precautionary reasons." An update was to come later.
NOTES: Flyers LW Pierre-Edouard Bellemare served a one-game suspension for hitting Washington D Dmitry Orlov from behind in the third period of Game 3. Colin McDonald, called up Sunday from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms, was inserted into the lineup in his place and played on the fourth line. ... Washington D Brooks Orpik (day-to-day, upper body) did not play in Wednesday's game after missing practice Tuesday and morning skate Wednesday. D Taylor Chorney, who played a career-high 55 regular-season games this season, saw his first playoff action in Orpik's absence. ... The Flyers shuffled their forward lines to start Wednesday's game, moving RW Jakub Voracek to the second line while bumping C Brayden Schenn up to the top line with C/RW Claude Giroux and RW Wayne Simmonds, a line that had success earlier in the season. ... Washington captain Alex Ovechkin became the club's all-time leader in playoff points (74) with a three-point effort Monday night.