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PHILADELPHIA (Map, News) - It was their greatest Houdini act yet.
All season long the Capitals spent the majority of their time digging out of impossibly deep holes, including a 3-1 series deficit in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Trailing by two goals early in the second period of Monday’s Game 6, it seemed the Caps had finally run out of magic. But much to the horror of a stunned sellout crowd at Wachovia Center, Washington still lives.
Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin each scored second-period goals and left wing Alex Ovechkin added a pair of daggers in the third period to lift the Caps to a thrilling 4-2 win.
The teams return to D.C. tonight, where the series will be decided in Game 7 at Verizon Center.
Philadelphia generated plenty of scoring chances on Caps goalie Cristobal Huet (33 saves). Flyers center Mike Richards opened the scoring just 3 minutes, 49 seconds into the game by banging home a lively carom off the boards on the power play. Just 1:18 into the second, Daniel Briere notched his NHL playoff-best sixth goal of the series when left alone in the slot.
The season was slipping away. But Washington stopped that momentum cold with a beautiful passing sequence between forwards Brooks Laich, Semin and Backstrom, who notched his third goal in three games at 9:34 of the second period. It was Semin’s turn eight-and-a-half minutes later when he skated onto a rebound and roofed the puck into an open net to tie it at 2.
That left things to Ovechkin in the third. Much had been made of Philadelphia’s defense on the NHL’s leading goal scorer, limited to just five points in five games. But at 2:46 of the third, Ovechkin blocked a Flyers shot, took off like a rocket down the ice and received a long pass from teammate Viktor Kozlov before beating Flyers goalie Martin Biron (36 saves) to put the Caps ahead for the first time. Then, with 9:19 to go and Washington on a power play after a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, Ovechkin ripped a one-timer past Biron to ensure a Game 7.
Comments from Examiner Readers
3:39 PM MST on Thu., Jun. 19, 2008 re: "Caps on a star search"
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Examiner Reader said:
Backstom was the 4th overall pick not the 6th.
3 agree | 3 disagree
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The Caps are coming!!! beware said:
They will win their last two games, count on it.
8 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Yes, the Caps did play a heck of a game, and they DID win in OT picking up 2 huge points. After such a horrible start it is truly amazing how they have rebounded to be in this position under Coach Boudreau. Let's Go Caps!!
5 agree | 5 disagree
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Photo Caption said:
Since when did Alex Ovechkin change his number to #15 and drop his visor?!?! That's Boyd Gordon in that photo, numbnuts.
9 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Heck of a game, shame they didn't win in overtime. A point is a point though. Chris
68 agree | 83 disagree
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