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Flyers, Capitals collide hoping for a little defense

Nov 20, 2010 - 3:53 PM (Sports Network) - Two nights after getting shut out for the first time this season, the Philadelphia Flyers had one of their best offensive outbursts -- and lost.

The Flyers hope to avoid a third straight defeat overall and a second in as many meetings this season at the Verizon Center against the Washington Capitals, who were also blanked on Friday for the first time in nearly a year.

Philadelphia had gone 10 straight games without a regulation loss (9-0-1) from Oct. 26-Nov. 15 until a 3-0 setback in Montreal on Tuesday. The Flyers had scored 18 goals in three wins prior to the setback versus the Canadiens and had their second highest goal-scoring output on Thursday at home over Tampa Bay. However, it wasn't enough in a wild 8-7 loss.

The two teams combined for nine goals in the first period, with the Flyers owning a 5-4 edge, but Philadelphia blew multiple leads en route to the setback.

"We came out with the right intentions to start the game," said Philadelphia head coach Peter Laviolette. "We're up two to nothing, the shots are like six or seven to nothing, we're in their end pressing. You know when you're up like that you expect to continue to close the deal and it didn't happen tonight."

Making his 12th straight start, rookie Sergei Bobrovsky was lifted after allowing four goals on 11 shots in the first period. Brian Boucher yielded four goals on 22 shots in relief.

Nikolay Zherdev had two goals and an assist, Danny Briere netted his team high-tying 10th goal and Jeff Carter also scored for the Flyers, who had a seven-game home winning streak snapped and tied the club record the most goals in a loss.

Coincidentally, Claude Giroux, who also has 10 goals this year, was one of just three Flyers skaters to not log a point in the loss.

Philadelphia is 4-2-2 on the road and that includes a 3-2 overtime setback in Washington on Nov. 7. Zherdev had a goal and Bobrovsky made 36 saves, but the Capitals' Mike Green scored on a power play 29 seconds into overtime.

Alexander Semin had a goal for the Capitals and has five tallies and six assists during a six-game point streak versus the Flyers.

Washington has won four straight versus Philadelphia as well as three in a row and four of the last five played in the Verizon Center.

The Capitals, though, will be looking to rebound tonight after suffering their first regulation loss since Oct. 28 last night in a 5-0 setback in Atlanta. Washington, which was 8-0-1 in its previous nine games, was shut out for the first time since Dec. 9.

Braden Holtby made his third NHL start, but allowed three goals on the first five shots he faced before being lifted in favor of Michal Neuvirth, who made 29 saves in relief.

"We just didn't play well enough to win," said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Semin had a nine-game point streak halted, a run in which he had tallied nine goals and 17 points.

Washington now returns home, where it has won seven straight and is 10-1-0 this season. The club is just 4-4-1 on the road.

Mike Knuble left last night's game with an upper-body injury and Boudreau said the forward might be out for a little while.