Briere Gets Only Shootout Goal, Flyers Defeat Caps

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Danny Briere scored the only goal in the shootout, Brian Boucher stopped all three Washington attempts and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Capitals 5-4 on Saturday night.

Boucher blocked Nicklas Backstrom's drive, gloved Alex Ovechkin's shot and slid as Alexander Semin's try glanced off the left post. Briere put the puck between Michal Neuvirth's pads.

Philadelphia went ahead 4-3 with 6:07 remaining on Andreas Nodl's goal from between the circles, but Eric Fehr scored on a one-timer from the right circle on a power play with 38.8 seconds left in regulation.

Claude Giroux, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter also scored for the Flyers, who handed the Capitals their second home loss in 12 games in a duel between the two top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Marcus Johansson, Nicklas Backstrom and Jason Chimera had the other goals for Washington, which lost a second straight game for the second time this season.

The Capitals squandered two early scoring chances, clanging shots off the right post and the crossbar, before Johansson's second goal of the season gave them a 1-0 lead 8:50 into the game. Johansson darted down the slot and flicked a wrist shot past Boucher.

Giroux's team-high 11th goal tied it at 13:11 of the second period. With Washington's Brooks Laich off for goaltender interference, Giroux redirected Chris Pronger's center-point drive at the left post.

Philadelphia went ahead on Richards' goal late in the second. Scott Hartnall, tied up at the left post, couldn't get a shot off, and shoveled a pass to Richards, who cut in from the right circle.

Carter scored midway through the third to make it 3-1. He skated into the zone and uncorked a wrist shot from between the circles with 10:20 left.

Backstrom and Chimera scored on power plays 28 seconds apart, tying it at 3. Backstrom skated to the right post to knock in Ovechkin's rebound with 8:57 remaining, and Chimera converted his own rebound from the same spot.

Nodl converted a centering pass from James van Riemsdyk after Richards made a nice play to keep a clearing pass in the zone. Fehr's goal came off a behind-the-net feed from Laich.

Washington played the final 1:48 of overtime a man down after an interference minor against Backstrom.

NOTES: The Capitals' other consecutive losses were Oct. 19 and 21 in a home-and-home series against Boston. Their 10-1-0 record entering the game was tops in the NHL. ... Philadelphia is the first Atlantic Division team to beat the Capitals in five games. ... Washington played without RW Mike Knuble, who took a puck to the face from Fehr in Atlanta on Friday night, and D Tom Poti (groin) who missed his 12th game in 13. ... Flyers LW Daniel Carcillo (sprained left knee) sat out his third straight game.

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