Flyers Fall But Manage to Stay on Top

Flyers salvage point, clinch playoff spot with shootout loss to Ovechkin-less Caps.

The Fly Guys didn’t win in a showdown of the beasts of the NHL’s Eastern Conference powerhouses but they did pull off a point, clinching a playoff spot in the process.

Alexander Semin's shootout goal lifted the Capitals to a 5-4 victory over the Flyers on Tuesday night and pulled them within one point of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Playing without star forward Alex Ovechkin for the first time this season, the Caps took an early three-goal lead and seemed on their way to tying Philly for the top spot.

But the Flyers scored four straight and earned a point by going into overtime.

Philadelphia has two more games remaining than D.C.

Semin beat Brian Boucher -- who had replaced an inefficient Sergei Bobrovsky -- with a nifty move and backhanded a shot into the top corner for the winner.

Ville Leino scored on the first shot, and Matt Hendricks answered for the Capitals.

The Flyers managed to salvage the point after scores from Kris Versteeg, Claude Giroux, Andreas Nodl and Danny Briere in regulation.


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