Ovechkin and the Capitals are just the seventh team eliminated from the 2008 playoffs. Philadelphia beat all odds and won game 7 in Washington, albeit scoring in the second by pushing goaltender Huet out of the way. One of the hottest teams in the NHL since Bruce Boudreau took over will no doubt have a great future. Hey, Sidney Crosby didn’t win his first playoff series either.
The Capitals treated their fans their fans to one of the most memorable game 1s in a while. The fourth line scored the Capital’s first two goals as Donald Brashear netted one only three minutes in. The Flyers came back to tie it before Dave Steckel put the Capitals up 2-1 in the second period. Philadelphia, however, came back with three unanswered goals by Briere, Prospal, and again Briere all in three and half minutes. Whatever was said to the Capitals in the second intermission worked, because down 4-2, Washington came out flying. Mike Green scored 1:50 into the period and again 6:26 in, taking advantage of an injured Flyer. Washington owned the third period in shots 12-3, and with four and half minutes to go, Alexander Ovechkin scored the game winning goal, stealing the puck from the Flyer’s defense right in front of the net to give Washington a 5-4 win.
Philadelphia struck back in game 2 and started a string of dominance unmatched until game 5 by the Capitals. Dominating the game in shots 41-24, the Flyers struck early in the first and never looked back. RJ Umberger scored six minutes into the game, followed by Jeff Carter’s goal nine minutes later. The Capitals could not take advantage of six power plays, going 0-6, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 shutout win.
In Philadelphia for game 3, Danny Briere struck first late in the first period but Washington responded only a minute later. Then only a minute after Washington’s goal, Scott Hartnell and Sami Kapanen struck 17 seconds apart to give the Flyers a big 3-1 lead. Mike green got the Capitals back in the game 7:28 into the second, cut the lead to one. But Briere scored yet again with seconds remaining in the period and Philadelphia lead 4-2. Brooks Laich gave Washington hope with four and half to go in the third, but Philadelphia answered with two more goals to seal the game 6-3.
.jpg)
It was all overtime in game 4. Jeff Carter scored 42 seconds into the game for the Flyers, only to be answered by Nicklas Backstrom two minutes later. Alexander Semin gave the Caps a 2-1 lead later in the first only to have Jeff Carter score again six minutes later. In the second period, the only scoring came from Steve Eminger 5:56 in. The Capitals would hold the 3-2 lead all the way until midway through the third period when who else but Danny Briere scored. Victor Kozlov was called for an absurd goaltender interference call with a few minutes remaining. Luckily, Philadelphia did not score and the game went into overtime, well, make that two overtimes. Mike Knuble struck 6:40 into the second period as he elevated a puck top shelf from right in front of Huet. The Flyers took a commanding lead in the series 3-1.Many counted the Capitals out, including myself, in game 5, but they only played the best hockey of the playoffs. Backstrom scored in the first period on the power play and the Caps led 1-0. Sergei Federov added to that lead 1:25 into the second period on a nifty backhanded goal from Kozlov and Green. However, Vaclav Prospal would cut the lead in half for Philadelphia before the end of the period. In the third, Alexander Semin scored his second career playoff goal to give Washington a 3-1 lead. Derian Hatcher would respond a minute later, but Christobal Huet stood tall in net and did not allow another goal. Washington 3-2 and forced game six.
Alexander Ovechkin finally showed up again in game 6. After Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead on goals by Richards and Briere, Washington came to life. Midway through the second, Backstrom put the Caps on the board and with a minute left in the period, Semin scored to tie things up at 2. Just 2:46 into the third, Ovechkin broke the tie as he scored on a breakaway. He added another goal on a viscous one-timer slapshot from Sergei Federov midway through the period. The Capitals held on to win 4-2 and head back home for game 7.
Just like the first goal in game 6, the first goal in game 7 came from an ounce off the end boards and right in front of the net. Backstrom banged it home to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead. Scottie Upshall would tie the game for Philadelphia on the power play with four and half minutes to go in the period. Then, Washington killed off a four minute Federov penalty which included being down two men for two full minutes during that span. Although Washington had the momentum, it was Philadelphia who scored first as Sami Kapanen put the puck into the net 9:47 into the second. Alexander Ovechkin struck again on a brilliant wrist shot with four and half minutes left in the second to head to the third all tied up at 2. Washington out shot the Flyers 16-5 in the third period, but the game would head to overtime where Joffrey Lupul would score on the power play just six minutes in, winning the game and series for Philadelphia.
more
