Nobody dissecting this NHL playoff game from the statistics alone would believe the result. Even those watching live couldn’t comprehend what they were seeing.
In a game the Washington Capitals dominated in almost every area imaginable, the unthinkable happened. Despite being outshot, out-hit and out-performed in the faceoff circles, the Philadelphia Flyers won Game 5 in Washington 2-0 to narrow their deficit in the best-of-seven series to 3-2.
Aside from the scoreboard, the one other category the Flyers won handily was saves—44 of them by goaltender Michal Neuvirth. Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun quoted Caps head coach Barry Trotz on Neuvirth's performance:
Neuvirth has probably earned the nickname "Nightmare," at least when it comes to the Capitals' dreams of winning the Stanley Cup. After staking themselves to a 3-0 series lead, the Caps have gone from a potential sweep to what could be an epic collapse.
They’re the Presidents’ Trophy winners, amassing 120 points for the second time in franchise history in the regular season. They have one of the deepest and most t ...
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Article written by Steve Macfarlane
NHL Playoffs Roundup: ‘Nightmare’ Neuvirth’s Epic Game Eerily Familiar to Caps
April 22nd, 2016 by Steve Macfarlane Leave a reply »
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