Capitals score five consecutive goals to crush Philly

The Washington Capitals overcame a two goal deficit to the Philadelphia Flyers and answered with five consecutive en route to a 5-2 win.

Bobby Brink struck first for the opposition at 1:52. Then the refs decided to get in on the Friday night party in DC by calling not one but two penalties on Tom Wilson while the Flyers got away with blatant tripping and high sticking. On Philly's second power play, again with Wilson in the box, they doubled the lead at 18:23 with a PPG from Owen Tippett. Caps were outshot 11-5 in the first period.

In the second Alex Ovechkin broke the slump for the Caps with his 17th goal of the season. It came at 4:34 off a quck snap off the draw with Wilson and Hendrix Lapierre getting credited with the assists. Lapierre got promoted to the top line thanks to a two goal performance Monday night against Ottawa and a goal the other night in the defeat to Detroit.

It was also Ovechkin's 839th of his career putting him 55 away from Wayne Gretzky for number one all time in goals scored. It was also his 48th of his career against the Flyers which is third best in the league behind Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.

Sonny Milano knotted the score at 9:55 for his seventh of the season. John Carlson gave the Caps a 3-2 lead with a slick backhander at the corner of the net. Lapierre and Rasmus Sandin helped out on that one. It was 3-2 Caps after two as the Caps outshot the Flyers 9-5 in the middle stanza.

In the third Anthony Mantha struck on the power play for his 19th of the season which is the second most on the Caps. It came at 6:04 with help from Dylan Strome and Wilson. Then the lit night at Capital One became Friday Night Fight Night as Wilson and former Capital Garnet Hathaway dropped the gloves, each getting rewarded with four minute majors instead of game misconduct ejections. Hathaway got his salute from the Caps faithful during the first TV timeout.

Strome added his 22nd of the season for good measure which leads the Caps. Paciorety and Joel Edmundson had the assists and it came at 15:38. With the victory the Capitals are now at 28-22-9 record wise which equals out to 65 points to bypass the Devils for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and to keep their playoff dreams alive.

For the wild card the Caps are now five points back of the Lightning. BUT now they are just four points behind Philly for third in the Metro Division which is a much better spot to be in. So yeah, they're back in this with the Arizona Coyotes looming on Sunday afternoon back at the barn on 7th and F Street.