Dave Hakstol said a day before the Flyers playoff opener that discipline wasn't a problem. It hurt the Flyers in Game 1 in a series where special teams could easily decide the series.
The Capitals scored on the power play late in the second and added a third-period goal to take Game 1 by a score of 2-0 on Thursday night at Verizon Center.
An energetic first period produced no goals, but some chances for the Flyers. Three power plays went by the wayside in the first for the Flyers, who struggled to find rhythm against the Capitals penalty kill.
The Flyers still outshot Washington, 11-8, in the first.
The Capitals poured on the pressure in the second, outshooting the Flyers, 14-4. They also had three power play chances and finally cashed in on the third.
A point shot by John Carlson deflected off a Flyer and beat Steve Mason to give the Capitals the lead at 16:21.
Throughout the second, Mason had played stellar in the net, standing on his head to keep the Flyers in the game.
Late in the second, Sean Couturier left the game with an upper-body injury. Flyers Post Game Live on CSN Philly reported that he is out for the remainder of the series. The Flyers did not provide an update following the game. Couturier will be re-evaluated on Friday.
In the third, the Flyers had to deal with two early penalty kills, one being a four-minute double-minor for high-sticking to Sam Gagner, but successfully killed them off to keep the margin at one.
Late in the third, while the teams skated a 4-on-4, Jay Beagle capitalized on a Jake Voracek turnover. Alone in the slot, he took the feed from Marcus Johansson and beat Mason.
The Capitals outshot the Flyers, 9-4, in the final period, for a final advantage of 31-19.
The Flyers never managed to beat Braden Holtby, making 18 saves in a shutout win. Mason made 29 saves in the loss.
The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play in the game. Washington went 1-for-6.
The Flyers return to the ice on Saturday for Game 2 in Washington. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. from Verizon Center.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
