Capitals edge Flyers to maintain winning run
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Washington Capitals recorded their seventh consecutive victory with a 2-1 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, the shootout win edging them closer to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Washington won the shootout 1-0 when goaltender Jose Theodore blocked Jeff Carter's shot to ensure Viktor Kozlov's first-round tally was a winning one.
"I always like our chances in shootouts," Theodore told reporters after making 33 saves. "They have some skilled players but when we scored that first one, I just knew that if I stopped the last three we would get the win."
The victory put the Capitals on 57 points from 41 games, five behind the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins at the midway point of the regular season.
The surging Capitals have now won 12 of their last 13 games, are 18-1-1 at home and enjoy a 10-point lead over second place Carolina in the Southeast Division.
"We like it up there (at the top of the division)," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau added. "We're going to push the envelope as far as we can push it and see where it takes us.
"I have been in the business 33 years, professionally, and I have never been on a team that has lost only one on home ice."
Nicklas Backstrom opened the scoring with a powerplay goal just two minutes into the game when he flipped a wrist shot past Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron.
Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn equalized 23 seconds into the third period with a long slap shot on the powerplay that eluded a screened Theodore.
The victory also avenged a 7-1 drubbing by the Flyers in Philadelphia on December 20 but Boudreau played down the significance of the turnaround.
"We won in a shootout," he said. "It's not like we outshot them 43-14 and dominated them. It's basically a tie game for 65 minutes.
"We feel every game against Philly is going to be a battle. Hopefully if we get to the playoffs we don't have to play them."
(Writing by by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by John O'Brien)
