Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jakub Voracek's game-winning goal occurred on the power play just 1:28 into overtime, as Philadelphia claimed a 3-2 victory over Washington on Thursday.
Matt Niskanen was sent off for hooking 71 seconds into the extra session and it didn't take long for the hosts to capitalize.
Claude Giroux drew the primary assist, as he held the puck in the left circle until Voracek moved into position and uncorked a shot which was slowed by the stick of Caps forward Nicklas Backstrom before sliding underneath Braden Holtby.
Sean Couturier and R.J. Umberger also tallied for the Flyers, who have won the first two in a four-game homestand.
Matt Read and Nick Schultz each had a pair of assists to aid Steve Mason's 26-save effort. Mason won back-to-back starts for the first time since early November.
"That's a big win," said Mason. "This is a team that we're chasing. Unfortunately they got a point out of it, but we'll take the extra one."
Alex Ovechkin and Karl Alzner scored for the Capitals, who were coming off a 6-2 win in Toronto on Wednesday. Holtby ended up with 30 saves in defeat.
"It's always tough to lose, no matter how you lose, said Backstrom. "We wanted two points, but we only got one."
Washington received the game's first power play and it took Ovechkin just 34 seconds into the advantage to strike on his trademark one-timer from the bottom of the left circle just 3:08 into the contest.
Couturier evened the score just before the midway point of the period, cleaning up the rebound of a Schultz point drive with a backhander from the right edge of the crease.
In a scoreless second period, the Philadelphia defense held the Caps to four shots while Holtby only faced nine from the hosts, the best one by Scott Laughton was quickly erased by his calm glove stop.
The Caps successfully defended a carry-over power play to begin the third, and took a 2-1 lead at 3:08 of the final stanza.
Alzner's floater from the left point appeared to make contact with Backstrom's blade high in the air in front of Mason but did not perceptibly change direction as it hit the net. After lengthy consultation with league offices, there was not enough evidence to overturn the on-ice call.
Only 1:14 later, the hosts tied it. A wrister from Schultz off a left-circle faceoff win missed the net to the left of the Capitals' net, and after both Holtby and defenseman John Carlson decided not to play the carom in front, Umberger snuck in and one-timed the puck home from the right side.
Game Notes
Philadelphia has won six of its last seven home games against Washington ... Ovechkin extended his goal-scoring streak to five games ... The Orange and Black recorded back-to-back wins beyond regulation for the first time since Dec. 28-30, 2013 in Edmonton and Vancouver, and accomplished the same feat at home for the first time since beating Montreal and Carolina in shootouts on Mar. 6-8, 2006 ... Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann suffered an upper-body injury late in the first period on a hit from behind by Caps forward Tom Wilson and did not return.
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