PHILADELPHIA – It was setting up to be one of those vintage Alex Ovechkin goals. He accelerated up the ice, carrying the puck around Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz, who stumbled trying to stop him. Ovechkin unfurled his shot from the right faceoff circle, and an inch would’ve made all the difference. It pinged off the post.
Ovechkin scored as a power play expired later in the game, a snap shot beating goaltender Steve Mason. That was his 44th goal of the season, still six shy of the 50-goal mark that has become the standard for one of hockey’s greatest goal-scorers.