WASHINGTON _ The Flyers escaped with one point against the best team in the NHL but couldn't totally stop the Washington Capitals' home dominance.
Nicklaus Backstrom scored a power-play goal from the right circle, sending a snap shot past Steve Mason inside the near post with 1 minute, 35 seconds left in overtime to give the Caps a 2-1 victory Saturday night at the Verizon Center.
Washington has won 15 consecutive home games and is 15-0-2 in its last 17 at the Verizon Center. The Flyers are 2-0-1 in their last three games.
For the Flyers, at least this was better than their last trip to Washington, which resulted in a 5-0 loss on Jan. 15.
With 2:40 left in the overtime, Mason made a save on T.J. Oshie shot from the left circle that hit him in the mask. Mason was down momentarily but stayed in the game.
Scoreless through 40 minutes, the teams showed some early offense in the third period.
The Flyers opened the scoring on a picture-perfect goal. The sequence went from Nick Cousins to Matt Read to Sean Couturier.
Skating in front of the goal, Couturier knocked in Read's pass with 18:41 left in the third period.
Couturier had not scored a goal in his previous 11 games. It was his 10th goal of the season, all at even strength.
For Couturier it was redemption as he had three other good scoring chances, including two in the first period.
Just 81 seconds after the goal, Dmitry Orlov scored the equalizer.
Orlov, rushing from his own end, passed the puck to himself and skated toward the blue line where he sent blast past a screened Mason. The Caps defenseman used Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas as his screen.
With 10:19 left in regulation, Mason made a sensational save on Backstrom, who was crashing in on goal, attempting to convert an Alex Ovechkin feed.
The Caps had the Flyers on their heels in the second period, creating several chances.
Near the midway point of the second period, Ovechkin, who entered the game with 31 goals and 20 assists in 44 games against the Flyers, was just wide on a backhand at an open far post.
With 8:50 left in the second period, Flyers winger Jake Voracek took a blow to the head on a check by former Flyer Justin Williams. While no penalty was called, it wouldn't be surprising if the NHL reviewed the hit.
Voracek came out for his next shift, but then didn't appear the rest of the period. He returned for the third period.
The close calls continued for Couturier when with 8:20 left in the second period, he tipped a Cousins pass right at Caps goalie Braden Holtby.
With under four minutes left in the second period and the Flyers on the power play, Shayne Gostisbehere hit the post on a blast from the point that Holtby never saw.
Both teams had their chances in a first period in which there were just 13 shots, seven by the Caps.
Capitals right wing Brett Connolly shot high and wide of a wide open net with 1:50 left in the first period. Earlier in the period, Couturier failed to convert two scoring chances near the net.
The Flyers were 0 for 6 on the power player while Washington was 0 for 3 in regulation before converting in overtime.
