National Hockey League rivalry
Capitals?Flyers rivalry
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First meeting
| November 9, 1974
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Latest meeting
| April 16, 2024
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Next meeting
| TBD
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Meetings total
| 272
[1]
[2]
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All-time series
| 138?104?19?11 (PHI)
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Regular season series
| 124?88?19?11 (PHI)
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Postseason results
| 16?14 (WSH)
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Largest victory
| PHI 11?2 WSH
April 1, 1976
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Longest win streak
| PHI W6 (3 times)
WSH W6 (1 time)
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Current win streak
| WSH W2
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The
Capitals?Flyers rivalry
is a
National Hockey League
(NHL)
rivalry
between the
Washington Capitals
and
Philadelphia Flyers
ice hockey
clubs. Both teams compete in the NHL's
Eastern Conference
Metropolitan Division
. The two teams have been rivals since the Capitals inception in the
1974?75 season
, but became most intense in the 1980s when the Capitals joined the
Patrick Division
. The rivalry was renewed in the late 2000s and 2010s with both teams being equally competitive resulting in two playoff matches in
2008
and
2016
.
1980s
[
edit
]
Due to the proximity of each team (124 miles from
Philadelphia
to
Washington
via
Interstate 95
), the Flyers and Capitals are natural rivals. It was common for the
Capital Centre
, where the Capitals played, to be filled with many Flyers fans during the meetings. This led to an intense hatred for Capitals fans, and became even more intense when they joined the Flyers in the
Patrick Division
. After struggling for close to a decade, the Capitals finally made the playoffs in 1983, but did not meet the Flyers until the next season. The Capitals, then led by
Mike Gartner
and
Rod Langway
, got their first playoff series win in franchise history by defeating the Flyers in the
1984 Patrick Division semifinals
3?0 in a best-of-five. This stunning sweep also marked the end of two legendary Flyers careers,
Bobby Clarke
and
Bill Barber
.
[3]
During the
1987?88 NHL season
, the rivalry became intense. With both teams set to play each other in the first round of the playoffs, the two teams met in a regular season game on the final day of the regular season (April 3, 1988). The game decided home-ice advantage during that first round match-up for which the game finished 2?2, with Capitals' defenseman
Garry Galley
scored two goals.
[4]
Both teams finished with 85 points and 38 wins, but Washington earned the home-ice advantage by winning four of the six games between the teams (minus the extra game at the
Spectrum
). The two teams met again in the
1988 Patrick Division Semifinals
. This time, the Flyers took a 3?1 lead, only to have the Capitals come back and force a game 7. Both teams sent the game into overtime, and Capitals forward
Dale Hunter
won it for the Capitals, making it one of the greatest playoff memories in team history.
[5]
The Flyers got their revenge the following season in
1989
, as the Flyers won the series 4?2. The series is perhaps best remembered for a historical feat committed by Flyers goaltender
Ron Hextall
. Hextall became the first
NHL goaltender to score a goal
in the Stanley Cup playoffs, by actually shooting the puck into the empty net. Hextall was also the first to do that feat in the regular season, having done it the
year before
.
1990s
[
edit
]
Perhaps the most notable moment of the rivalry in the 1990s was of a fight filled game at the Cap Centre. On February 10, 1991, the Flyers and Capitals faced off in one of the most violent games between the two teams. The first period was fight filled, but the most notable moment happened in the third period with the Capitals leading big. Capitals forward Dale Hunter laid a vicious elbow to the face of Flyers defenseman
Gord Murphy
, which sent Flyers head coach
Paul Holmgren
into a frenzy, as he banged a stick against the plexiglass that separates the team benches and got in a shouting match with Capital head coach
Terry Murray
and
enforcer
Alan May
. The Flyers later responded with
enforcer
Craig Berube
crushing Capitals goalie
Don Beaupre
behind the net. This led to another brawl and many fines for both teams.
[6]
Each team was fined $5,000 and Paul Holmgren was fine $1,000 for his actions. Dale Hunter was suspended four games for his hit on Gord Murphy.
[7]
Another notable moment was of another brawl, this time in
The Spectrum
. Flyers goalie Ron Hextall and Capitals forward
Rob Pearson
got into a notable scrum in February 1995 but was the last notable moment between the two teams for many seasons.
The rivalry grew dormant throughout the rest of the decade, as the two teams did not meet in the playoffs in the newly constructed
Atlantic Division
. With the
1998 realignment
moving the Capitals into the
Southeast Division
, the rivalry grew even more dormant, especially as the Capitals struggled following their playoff run to the
1998 Stanley Cup Finals
ended in a sweep against the
Detroit Red Wings
, just as Flyers season ended the
year before
.
21st century
[
edit
]
2000s
[
edit
]
With the arrival of the Capitals new, young star
Alexander Ovechkin
, this led to a rebirth of the intensity between the two teams. After 19 seasons, the two teams finally met again in the
2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
. Capitals star Alex Ovechkin made an impact early, as he scored the game-winning goal in game one. The Flyers won the next three games, with game 4 being won by Flyers forward
Mike Knuble
in double-overtime. Reminiscent of their 1988 playoff series, the Capitals forced a game seven back in Washington, D.C., on April 22, which included overcoming an early 2?0 deficit in Philadelphia in Game 6. This time, however, the Flyers won after Flyers forward
Joffrey Lupul
scored the game and series winning goal for Philadelphia in overtime on the power play.
2010s
[
edit
]
The rivalry became its most intense since the 1980s, especially during the
2013?14 season
. The Flyers were off to a miserable start to the season, and would face the Capitals on November 1, 2013. The Capitals crushed the Flyers 7?0 in Philadelphia, with Flyers fans chanting for GM Paul Holmgren to be fired. However, the most notable moment of the game was the line-brawl during the third period. Flyers forward
Wayne Simmonds
dished out a huge hit on Capitals defenseman
Steven Oleksy
, which led to Simmonds dropping the gloves with the Capitals
Tom Wilson
, leading to a brawl. Flyers goaltender
Ray Emery
joined in and fought Capitals goalie
Braden Holtby
, who was an unwitting combatant. Emery was given two minutes for instigating, two for leaving the crease, five for fighting, and a ten-minute misconduct.
[8]
Despite the controversy surrounding the brawl, the Flyers cited the game as a rally cry, and made the playoffs, despite the slow start to the season.
Later that season, on March 5, 2014, the two teams would engage in another fight filled game. This time in an eventual 6?4 Flyers win, the brawl started early as Flyers defenseman
Luke Schenn
checked Capitals forward
Ryan Stoa
into the boards, which led to a fight between Schenn and Tom Wilson. At the same time, the Flyers
Vincent Lecavalier
and Capitals
John Erskine
fought, as did Wayne Simmonds and the Capitals
Connor Carrick
. The brawl, coincidentally, occurred on the 10-year anniversary of the famous Flyers
brawl with the Ottawa Senators
.
[9]
After storming to make the playoffs, both teams faced off in the
2016 Eastern Conference first round
. The Capitals were the
Presidents' Trophy
winners and were heavily favored. The Capitals took a 3?0 series lead, but the Flyers extended it to game six, thanks to a 44-save performance by goaltender (and former Capital)
Michal Neuvirth
. The Flyers only had 11 shots during the game, the fewest in franchise history for a playoff game.
[10]
The Capitals won game six, however, to win the series 4?2.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Washington Capitals Head-to-Head Results"
.
Hockey-Reference.com
. Sports Reference LLC
. Retrieved
March 12,
2017
.
- ^
"Philadelphia Flyers Head-to-Head Results"
.
Hockey-Reference.com
. Sports Reference LLC
. Retrieved
March 12,
2017
.
- ^
"Capitals vs. Flyers: The Philthy Rivalry"
. January 27, 2016
. Retrieved
March 11,
2017
.
- ^
"CAPITALS TIE, FINISH 2ND"
.
The Washington Post
. April 4, 1988
. Retrieved
March 11,
2017
.
- ^
"Capitals vs. Flyers: The Philthy Rivalry"
. January 27, 2016
. Retrieved
March 11,
2017
.
- ^
"Ranking The Rivalry ? Philadelphia vs Washington"
. Archived from
the original
on March 12, 2017
. Retrieved
March 11,
2017
.
- ^
"Capitals, Flyers fined for fight-filled game"
. March 5, 1991
. Retrieved
March 11,
2017
.
- ^
Leahy, Sean (November 1, 2017).
"Flyers, Capitals engage in line brawl featuring Ray Emery vs. Braden Holtby"
. Retrieved
March 11,
2017
.
- ^
Gonzalez, John (March 5, 2014).
"FLYERS, CAPITALS ENGAGE IN ANOTHER LINE BRAWL"
. Retrieved
July 19,
2023
.
- ^
Brown, Katie (April 22, 2016).
"Neuvirth, Flyers shut out Capitals in Game 5 win"
.
NHL.com
. NHL Enterprise, L. P
. Retrieved
April 24,
2016
.
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