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Backstrom's overtime goal lifts Capitals to win over Flyers

Nov 23, 2007 - 10:30 PM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Rookie Nicklas Backstrom saved the Washington Capitals from a terrible collapse and helped Bruce Boudreau get off to a good start.

Backstrom scored the game-winning goal in overtime Friday as the Capitals held off the Philadelphia Flyers for a 4-3 victory in Boudreau's coaching debut.

After squandering a three-goal lead, Backstrom helped Washington snap a five-game skid. It was a thrilling finale for Boudreau, who was named interim coach Thursday after the team fired Glen Hanlon.

"It's been a good 24 hours," Boudreau said. "I think the mindset of this team was that they weren't going to give in. That is a credit to the players and the leadership in the room. It would have been very easy when you had a 3-0 lead and they come back and tie it to say, 'Oh man, here we go again.' The team's mindset was very good."

Backstrom took a pass from Alex Ovechkin in front of the net at 1:55 of the extra session and fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Flyers goaltender Martin Biron.

"It was a 2-on-2 and I thought Ovie was going to take the shot," Backstrom said. "I saw the puck coming to me and I thought I should wait out the goalie. This time it worked, and I'm happy we got the win."

It was a much-needed win for the Capitals (7-14-1), who fired Hanlon after getting off to their worst 21-game start in franchise history.

"I thought Ovechkin was going to come across and he was going to get a quick shot," Biron said. "I was thinking he was going to come in and rush the net, but he had time to give it to Backstrom and go around me."

The victory did not come without drama, however, as goaltender Olaf Kolzig nearly helped blow a 3-0 lead.

Mike Richards capped the Flyers' comeback and tied the game at 3-3 by knocking home a rebound from the crease off a shot that deflected off Kolzig's blocker with 4:15 remaining in regulation.

Richards put back a shot by R.J. Umberger from the right faceoff circle for his career-high 12th goal of the season.

Trailing, 3-0, Philadelphia rallied thanks to a pair of goals in the final five minutes of the second period.

"I don't know if it was the turkey or what it was," Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell said. "We didn't come out like we wanted to today. We have to work on getting better starts and play a whole 60 minutes instead of 20 minutes."

Daniel Briere gathered a loose rebound off a shot from Joffrey Lupul and poked it past Kolzig with 4:15 left in the second. It was Briere's fourth goal in two games.

Jeff Carter cut the deficit to 3-2 just 2:04 later when he took a pass from defenseman Braydon Coburn at the right circle and sent a forehand between Kolzig's pads.

Kolzig stopped 22 shots for Washington, which was 1-for-3 on the power play. Biron turned aside 31 shots for Philadelphia, which was 0-for-7 with a man advantage.

"That was one of our better hockey games," Kolzig said. "Obviously, we had a new coach behind the bench that's got a little bit of a different philosophy. It was a great game for us."