Caps force Game 7

Ovechkin's third-period goals beat Flyers, 4-2; Canadiens oust Bruins

April 22, 2008

Capitals left wing Alexander Ovechkin shoots the puck past Flyers goalie Martin Biron for one of his two third-period goals. Ovechkin had been held without a goal in the previous four games. (AP photo / April 21, 2008)

Alex Ovechkin truly was "Alexander the Great" with the Washington Capitals' season on the line.

Held without a goal for four straight games, Ovechkin scored twice in the third period to lift the Capitals to a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night and send the series back to Washington for a decisive Game 7.

"The stars, it seems to happen around them, whether it's John Elway and 'The Drive' or great baseball players getting the last at-bat," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He was getting frustrated because they did such a good job on him, but he persevered and came through."

The Capitals have rallied back from a 3-1 hole and have a chance to win only the second Game 7 in franchise history tonight. The other one should be painfully familiar to the Flyers faithful: Dale Hunter scored an overtime goal that led Washington past Philadelphia 20 years ago this month.

The Caps have a shot to advance on home ice thanks to Ovechkin's timely goals. They are trying to become the 21st team in league history to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win a best-of-seven series.

Ovechkin never seemed overly concerned that he hadn't scored a goal since the Game 1 winner. The Flyers had stymied and frustrated the NHL's leading scorer so much that he wasn't much of a factor the past four games. After the Caps erased a 2-0 deficit late in the second period, Ovechkin made the Flyers pay early in the third. Viktor Kozlov picked off a pass deep in the Washington zone and fed Ovechkin at center ice. He took the pass and skated untouched before he beat Martin Biron for the breakaway goal and a 3-2 lead 2:46 into the third period.

"All year I didn't have a chance to score on a breakaway," Ovechkin said. "I probably had one goal on a breakaway. I did what I always do and thank God it worked."

Ovechkin was just heating up. He ripped a one- timer on a cross-ice pass from Brooks Laich eight minutes later to give Washington a two-goal lead. All those Flyers fans who had taunted Ovechkin for three games suddenly fell silent. The only noise heard at the end was the Capitals banging their sticks on the boards in celebration.

The Caps would play the Pittsburgh Penguins with a series win. The Flyers would get the Montreal Canadiens.

• Canadiens 5, Bruins 0 // Carey Price got his second shutout and Andrei Kostitsyn scored twice to lead Montreal over Boston in the deciding game of their first-round playoff series. Price stopped 25 shots, including 11 in the opening period. He got his first playoff shutout in a 1-0 win in Game 4. Mike Komisarek opened the scoring 3:31 in amid one of the first of countless roars from the raucous Bell Centre crowd over the course of the evening. The Canadiens took control of the game in the second, outshooting the Bruins 17-6 while building a three-goal lead.

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Caps force Game 7

Ovechkin's third-period goals beat Flyers, 4-2; Canadiens oust Bruins

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Caps force Game 7

Ovechkin's third-period goals beat Flyers, 4-2; Canadiens oust Bruins

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