Capitals Eliminate Flyers, Advance To Eastern Conference Semifinals, With 1-0 Win In Game 6

Nicklas Backstrom scored in the second period to lead the Washington Capitals to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series on Sunday.

Capitals Eliminate Flyers, Advance To Eastern Conference Semifinals, With 1-0 Win In Game 6

The Capitals, who won the series 4-2, will now advance to play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference semifinals.

Early in the third period, as the Capitals led 1-0, a Flyers fan at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia held up a sign directed at Washington that read, “You’ll choke.”

Clearly, the Capitals were able to prove this fan wrong. Goalkeeper Braden Holtby had 26 saves. Backstrom helped the Capitals end Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth’s shutout streak that stretched 72 consecutive shots over nearly 110 minutes when he scored on a one-time pass from Alex Ovechkin just below the circle with 8:59 left in the second period.

“Good pass, unbelievable shot,” Neuvirth said. “I don’t think I could have stopped it.”

The Flyers had won the last two games before returning home. Although Neuvirth delivered a fantastic performance, Philadelphia wasted nearly two minutes of a 5-on-3 power play in the second period that made a critical difference. Backstrom was sent to the penalty box with a double minor for a high stick and Matt Niskanen was hit five seconds later for hooking, giving the Flyers 1:55 of a 5-on-3. The Flyers missed the only two shots they took with the two-man advantage.

“It’s a different group. The past is a different regime,” Holtby said. “We are trying to write our own history.”

Holtby, who had a 19-save shutout in Game 1, was barely tested with solid shots in the last two games.The Flyers took just 11 shots against him in Game 5 and matched that weak total halfway through the second period.

Neuvirth replaced the lackluster Steve Mason for the Flyers, who came close to being swept heading into Game 4. He made 44 saves in the Flyers’ 2-0 win over the Capitals in Game 5 on Friday. After making 28 saves on Sunday, Neuvirth was pulled with 1:30 left in the game for an extra attacker.

The Czech goalie ended up going18-8-4 with a 2.27 goal against and a .924 save percentage in 32 games for the Flyers. Claude Giroux (67 points) had one assist in the series. Wayne Simmonds (60 points) had two assists. Brayden Schenn also failed to score a goal, thus leaving Philadelphia’s top three goal scorers without one after a regular season where they combined for 80.

Holtby earned his 20th career playoff win, tying Olie Kolzig for first on Washington’s postseason list.

The Flyers, led by rookie coach Dave Hakstol, have not won the Stanley Cup since 1975. The Capitals will next play the Penguins, who eliminated the New York Rangers with a 6-3 victory on Saturday to win the first-round series 4-1.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 24: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates past Radko Gudas #3 of the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on April 24, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Washington Capitals won, 1-0. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)