Flyers clip Capitals in shootout
PHILADELPHIA -- Wayne Simmonds scored the deciding goal in a shootout, and goaltender Steve Mason made three consecutive stops, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux scored in regulation for the Flyers, whose win snapped a modest 0-1-1 streak and pushed their record to 20-11-4. They didn't hit the 20-win mark last season until Jan. 17.
Andre Burakovsky and Lars Eller scored for the Capitals, whose loss was their second in a row following a six-game win streak. Washington fell to 19-8-4, a drop-off from its 23-6-2 record through 31 games last season.
Mason (36 saves) earned the win to improve to 14-9-4. Braden Holtby (36 saves) took the loss, falling to 14-7-3.
Capitals coach Barry Trotz tried lighting a fire under Burakovsky by scratching the 21-year-old winger from the lineup the previous three games due to a lack of offensive production. Burakovsky responded by scoring a goal on his second shot of the game.
With 1:36 remaining in the opening period, Burakovsky took a pass from defenseman Dmitry Orlov, walked into the slot and ripped a wrist shot past Mason's catching glove for his first goal since the Caps' season opener on Oct. 13.
The Flyers responded 4:25 into the second period when Raffl netted his seventh goal of the season. Promoted to a top line with Giroux and Jakub Voracek, Raffl hunted down an errant shot by Radko Gudas, swung around the side of the net a tucked a shot off Capitals defenseman John Carlson and behind Holtby. A video replay confirmed the puck rolled over the goal line before Holtby swatted it away.
The Capitals restored their one-goal lead midway through the second period when they received another goal from a slumping forward. Like Burakovsky, Eller entered the game with just two goals and hadn't scored in 18 games. He crashed the net to poke a John Carlson rebound past Mason for his first goal since Nov. 5.
Again, the Flyers answered, this time on Giroux's 10th goal of the season with 41 seconds remaining in the second period. Holtby denied a rush by Flyers rookie defenseman Ivan Provorov, but a poor clear by the Capitals gave Giroux plenty of time and space to snap a shot off the crossbar and behind Holtby for his first goal in six games.
NOTES: The Flyers entered the game leading the NHL in points by their defensemen with 88, topped by Mark Streit (16) and Shayne Gostisbehere (16). D Radko Gudas added an assist Wednesday. ... The Flyers close out their pre-Christmas schedule Thursday night when they visit the New Jersey Devils. They will begin their post-holiday schedule on the road, visiting St. Louis on Dec. 28, San Jose on Dec. 30 and Anaheim on Jan. 1. They return home on Jan. 4. ... The Capitals return home to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. Their first game back after the break will be Dec. 27, when they visit the Rangers.