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Ovechkin, Clymer score twice as Capitals pound Flyers

Nov 5, 2006 - 2:35 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Philadelphia Flyers fans probably wouldn't boo as much if their team had a player like Alexander Ovechkin.

Ovechkin scored twice during a four-goal first period as the Washington Capitals sent the Flyers to another ugly defeat with a 5-3 victory.

Ben Clymer netted his first two goals of the season and fellow defenseman Shaone Morrisonn also tallied for Washington, which had not won in Philadelphia since March 5, 1998.

"We try to win in buildings where we haven't in the past," Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. "It says something about where you are as a team. It is good for us to get this win, it's one of those things you look at when you are trying to improve."

The Flyers had posted 15 wins and one tie against the Capitals during their stretch of domination, but the way things are going this season, that streak was doomed to end.

"It's been a long time (since we won here)," Capitals goaltender Brent Johnson said. "They always seem to come out of the barn and pop a couple (of goals) in the first period. We did the opposite to them today."

With its latest disappointing effort, Philadelphia (3-9-1) is left with a league-low seven points. The team surrendered at least five goals for the fifth time and narrowly avoided its sixth loss by at least three tallies.

"We didn't try to come out like that," Flyers center R.J. Umberger said. "We had a couple of bad bounces that went in and it then seemed like everything was going wrong."

Ovechkin began the damage 3:53 into the contest with his seventh goal of the season. The reigning Calder Trophy winner received a pass from defenseman Bryan Muir in front, maneuvered the puck between his legs and slipped it around goaltender Robert Esche.

Clymer and Morrisonn tallied to make it 3-1 before Ovechkin capped the first-period barrage in the final minute by beating Esche on a 2-on-1 rush following a nice feed from captain Chris Clark.

"This was a great game for us," Ovechkin said. "We played very well and we just needed to play hard. We played a good first period, but we need to play the rest of the game the same as the first."

Antero Niittymaki relieved Esche for the start of the middle session and stopped all seven shots he faced in the period. But Clymer struck just 29 seconds into the third, scoring on a one-timer from the slot.

Brian Sutherby contributed two assists and Johnson made 33 saves for Washington, which had lost five of its last seven games.

"It was very important to get this win," Johnson said. "Last night (against Atlanta) was a game everyone thought we could've won. It was one where we were up a couple of goals. This victory, after being up 4-1 after the first period and hanging onto to the lead, was a big thing for us."

Simon Gagne scored on a first-period breakaway, Geoff Sanderson tallied early in the third period and Umberger netted a rare power-play tally for the Flyers, who went 1-for-6 with the man advantage and are a league-worst 7-for-80 this season.

"For me, one of the first things you want to see is when you get down, do you keep playing or do you pack it in and go away?" Flyers coach John Stevens said. "Tonight, we didn't do that and we poured it on to try to get back in the hockey game. For me, that is a step in the right direction."