[Drew]

Source: PhillyBurbs.com

If it had been a movie, Ken Hitchcock probably would have walked out right before the ending.

But because the Flyers played so well for 40 minutes last night, the coach gave the performance a grudging thumbs up.

Hitchcock's team took a 3-0 lead into the third period against the stumbling Washington Capitals, then had to hang on for a 4-2 win, extending their unbeaten record at the Wachovia Center to 4-0-2.

So, did the Flyers satisfy their coach with the early domination of the game?

"Well, if the press conference had been at 40 minutes, I would have said yes," Hitchcock remarked after the game. "We turned it into a track meet in the third period, and that's exactly the way Washington wanted the game.

"We're winning, we're doing a lot of sound things, minus the third period. We just felt like we let points slip away last year, and we just don't want to do that."

Two big keys to the game were the play of Keith Primeau's checking unit against Washington's premier line of Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra and Robert Lang and the goaltending of Robert Esche in the third period.

Primeau's line kept the Jagr line off the scoreboard, and Primeau scored a goal of his own on the power play.

Esche came up with a handful of saves in the third period, including three tipped drives, plus open shots by Dainius Zubrus and Bondra.

The goalie came to the rescue when the Flyers tried to sit on the three-goal lead.

"I thought we tried to play the clock out, and I told our team that," Hitchcock said. "We dominated the game for 40 minutes, and then we just tried to play it out. . . . When you've got a team like Washington on the ropes after two periods, we have to push them right through the end of the boards, and we kind of backed off a little."


Primeau, Simon Gagne and Sami Kapanen kept Jagr from building much speed in the neutral zone. Stopping a line like that is a source of pride.

"We may not receive the accolades publicly, but in the locker room the guys are aware of the challenge we have most nights," Primeau said. "It's a great feeling when you are able to shut down another team's top line, and it leads to a win."

Esche had a feeling the Caps would come out flying in the third. There is open talk that coach Bruce Cassidy's job is in serious peril, and every passing loss increases the speculation.

"I thought we did let it get away from us in the third period," Esche said. "You can't go out there swinging your sticks. You can't go out there pretending it's going to be an easy third period because that team's got a lot of pride. They don't want to lose 3-0."

The Flyers scored a power-play goal for the eighth time in 12 games to take a 2-0 lead in the second period.

Marcus Ragnarsson's point shot was stopped in front and John LeClair got a piece of the rebound. As Justin Williams whacked at the loose puck, defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski tried to push the puck under Olaf Kolzig, but it slid into the net at 2:28.

The goal was Williams' 100th NHL point.

Primeau made it 3-0 at 6:02. Primeau shook off Sergei Gonchar's check in front and tipped Gagne's shot past Kolzig's left pad.

Jeremy Roenick's heads-up play led to the Flyers' opening goal at 10:47 of the first.

Roenick took an Eric Weinrich pass in stride at the Washington line and split an opening between Jason Doig and Kwiatkowski. Then he fired a no-look pass to Tony Amonte on the left for an easy dunk.

A goal by Kwiatkowski in the third ended Esche's shutout bid, but Roenick responded with a power-play goal at 13:11. Washington got another goal from Brian Sutherby with 6:08 to play but the Flyers held on.

Short shots

Eric Desjardins (back spasms) sat out, and Jim Vandermeer returned to the lineup. Donald Brashear suited up for the first time and played on a "Seeing Red" line with Todd Fedoruk and Eric Chouinard. Fedoruk on Brashear: "He gets the other team thinking; he is dangerous out there. He's a veteran at it, and guys are always looking over their shoulder when he is on the ice. Guys cough up the puck more and are aware of where he is."

Box Score

FLYERS 4, CAPITALS 2

Washington 0 0 2-2
Philadelphia 1 2 1-4

First Period - 1, Philadelphia, Amonte 5 (Roenick, Weinrich), 10:47. Penalties-Semin, Was (interference), 4:45 Johnsson, Phi (slashing), 7:45 Roeinick, Phi (interference), 14:08 Kwiatkowski, Was (holding stick), 18:00.

Second Period - 2, Philadephia, Williams 4 (LeClair, Ragnarsson), 2:28 (pp). 3, Philadelphia, Primeau 2 (Gagne, Kapanen), 6:02. Penalties-Jagr, Was (ob.-holding), :47 Doig, Was, minor-major (roughing, fighting), 3:57 Fedoruk, Phi, major (fighting), 3:57 Johnsson, Phi (slashing), 8:06 Brashear, Phi (roughing), 12:19.

Third Period - 4, Washington, Kwiatkowski 1 (Doig, Lang), 12:15. 5, Philadelphia, Roenick 6 (Johnsson, Amonte), 13:11 (pp). 6, Washington, Sutherby 1 (Doig), 13:52. Penalties-Zubrus, Was (tripping), 12:47.

Shots on goal - Washington 5-6-11-22. Philadelphia 17-10-9-36.

Power-play Opportunities - Washington 0 of 4 Philadelphia 2 of 5.

Goalies - Washington, Kolzig 3-8-1 (36 shots-32 saves). Philadelphia, Esche 4-1-1 (22-20).

Attendance - 18,910 (19,519).

Time - 2:13.

Referees - Dan O'Halloran, Rob Shick.

Linesmen - Ryan Galloway, Pierre Racicot.

[Blindside]

"I thought we tried to play the clock out, and I told our team that," Hitchcock said. "We dominated the game for 40 minutes, and then we just tried to play it out. . . . When you've got a team like Washington on the ropes after two periods, we have to push them right through the end of the boards, and we kind of backed off a little."
I'm so glad that at least K-Hitch sees what I've been groaning about earlier this season. With a consistent effort in the 3rd period, the game could have been 5-0... But only for a team with a killer instinct, a desire to kick a team when they're down. Bluntly, this team lacks it... still.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the 2 points, but it was against a sub-par (to put it mildly) Crapitals team... If we let off the gas in the 3rd against the Devils, Wings, Stars, Avs, etc. we get beat like we did in Jersey after being up 2-0. It's a recurring trend that I keep seeing, and I still think this team is destined for another early playoff exit if it isn't remedied soon.

[Jlg-28]

yet another lesson learned , , can't blame esche on either of the goals