NHL PLAYOFFS Tuesday’s Game 7

Flyers 3, Capitals 2

WASHINGTON — The Philadelphia Flyers finally figured out how to put away the Washington Capitals. Joffrey Lupul netted a rebound during a power play 6:06 into overtime in Game 7 to lift Philadelphia past Alex Ovechkin and Washington in their Eastern Conference first-round series. The Flyers led the best-of-seven series 3-1 before allowing the Capitals to pull even. Lupul found space in front of the net to get a backhander past Cristobal Huet for his first postseason goal after Washington’s goalie had deflected Kimmo Timonen’s shot. There were 9 seconds left in the Flyers’ man advantage after defenseman Tom Poti was sent off for tripping — the first penalty since the second period in a rough-and-tumble game that suited Philadelphia’s style. The Flyers avoided what would have been a monumental collapse and won a playoff series for the first time since before the lockout: In 2004, they reached the Eastern Conference finals. Now Philadelphia, which had the worst record in franchise history last season and the fewest points in the NHL, will play the top-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the conference semifinals.

Associated Press