Flyers rally past Caps in OT thriller

Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Vinny Lecavalier scored the winner 2:45 into overtime as the Philadelphia Flyers rallied to take a 5-4 win over the Washington Capitals.

Kimmo Timonen brought the puck in down the middle and dished it over to his left for Lecavalier, who let fly with a wrister that tipped off a Capital and sailed into the net.

Claude Giroux scored twice and added an assist, while Jakub Voracek posted a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who took a pair of wins over the weekend against divisional opponents as the team grabbed a 4-2 victory against the Rangers on Saturday.

"I think the whole game we played good, but it just wasn't going in," said Giroux. "We saw ourselves being down 4-2 and kept playing the same way and it started to go in."

Adam Hall added a shorthanded goal, while Steve Mason posted 25 saves in the victory.

Dmitry Orlov scored twice, but took a boarding major in the third period that helped Philly get back into the game. Jay Beagle and Marcus Johansson also scored, and Braden Holtby gave up all five goals on 36 shots for the Capitals, who had a four-game winning streak stopped.

This was the opener of a home-and-home set as the two clubs will meet in Philly on Wednesday.

Trailing by two goals, the Flyers caught a break when Orlov was handed a major for boarding after he slammed into Brayden Schenn at 9:33 of the third. Orlov had been hit by Schenn earlier in the shift.

Working with a full five minutes, the Flyers kept control of the puck in the Washington zone and peppered Holtby with shots, finally getting one through on a one-timer from Voracek at the right circle with 8:02 to play.

"You have to be disciplined. A five-minute penalty, and I'm not saying it's a five-minute board, but he retaliated and you can't do that," said Washington head coach Adam Oates. "You had a great game, scored two goals, now is not the time. You need to be disciplined."

The rest of the advantage expired before Philly could tie the game, but the Flyers got Mason out of the net for an extra attacker late in the game and it paid off as Voracek's quick shot from the right circle was deflected in by Giroux with 1:05 to play.

Washington got on the board at 6:06 in the first period when good pressure in the Flyers end saw Troy Brouwer send a pass from behind the net to the left circle where Orlov one-timed it into the right corner.

Philly, though, tied the game on the power play thanks to a one-timer from the left circle by Giroux for his 20th of the year at 11:22.

Initially the goal was waived off and play continued for roughly 1 1/2 minutes. However, after a whistle stopped play, officials reviewed the play and determined that it was a good goal.

The Caps regained the lead at 13:56 of the first on a crisp passing play that saw Mike Green dish the puck from the right point to the low right side where Jason Chimera centered it for a redirection by Johansson shortly after a power play expired.

It was nearly a 3-1 game a bit later as Nicklas Backstrom's shot from down low nearly trickled over the line, but Mark Streit cleared it out and a review upheld the no-goal call.

Philly scored while shorthanded to tie the game, as Sean Couturier picked up an errant drop pass behind the Washington net, skated to the left boards and fired the puck to the front where Hall wristed it in at 12:50.

Washington, though, answered just 54 seconds later when the puck came to the front where Joel Ward made a nifty behind-the-back pass to the left and Beagle slammed it home.

The Caps took a 4-2 lead as Orlov's big blast from the high slot went through a screen at 16:23 of the second.

Game Notes

The goal was Lecavalier's 900th career point ... Each team has won twice in the season series ... Washington was 0-for-6 on the power play, while Philadelphia finished 2-for-4 ... Giroux has a team-leading 21 goals and 61 points on the season.