Game on.

Turnover in the Caps' zone (Green with the giveaway), good scoring chance for Carter, but Huet makes the save.

Now big check by Ovechkin on Timonen!

7 hits so far, about one every 30 seconds.

Hartnell to the box for interference. First PP for the Caps.

Ovechkin deflects one wide.

Umberger takes the puck from Semin, Fedorov gets it back and Semin takes a good slap shot that Biron stops.

Hatcher to the box, now. 2MA for 48 seconds. Gotta score on this one or the rest of the penalty.

BACKSTROM SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!!

This guy is incredible. Never ever in my wildest dreams I thought this guy would be so good when he would get here.

1-0 Caps.

Assists: Ovechkin and Fedorov.

This was scored with 6 seconds left to the 5-on-3.

Caps had been outhit and outshot before the penalties (most shots by the Caps had gone wide). So I guess the Flyers wanted to start very hard, and it was just a little too hard (two penalties). This should make them more careful for a few minutes.

Backstrom's playoff goals so far:

1) Game 4: scores on the PP to tie the game 1-1.
2) Game 5: opens the score on the PP.
3) Game 6: reduces the score 2-1 at ES.
4) Game 7: opens the score on the PP.

Each time, a very important goal. Each time the first goal scored by the Caps.

Semin to the box for hooking, with 6:01 left to the first period.

Steckel with a short-handed chance, but he can't take a shot, and Caps seize the opportunity to change their PKers.

Upshall ties the game, with 21 seconds left to the PP. 1-1.

And seconds later, Caps called again for a stick in Upshall's face. No blood, it's going to be a 2-minute penalty.

Wait, it's finally a double-minor for Fedorov.

And seconds later, another Cap to the box. Steckel for hooking. 2-minute 2MA.

At some point, the crowd cheering loud for their team. Great. That's when they're in trouble that they need you.

Steckel's penalty killed. Fedorov still in the box.

Upshall taken down, but it's an offside call against the Flyers, hehe.

Takeaway by Steckel, which helps to kill this one.

Penalty killed and end of the first period at the same time (Fedorov had been called with exactly 4 minutes left).

Looks like Prospal and Brière are in great shape, especially Prospal. Caps better stay out of the box.

1-1.

Caps outshot 13-8, outhit 16-7. Faceoffs are 12-10 Caps, thanks to Fedorov being 4-0.

Second on.

Caps on the PP, 1:35 into it.

Ovechkin and Fedorov with a good chance, but Biron is solid.

And now, Fedorov called for hooking. 4-on-4, then Caps on the PK for more than a minute.

Killed, but Flyers still dominating.

Now, Caps control the puck, Semin and Backstrom, then Ovechkin, good chances.

Kapanen scores! 2-1 Flyers.

Crowd unhappy because it sounds like Huet had been hit. But now they're cheering loud, great.

Downie to the box for hooking. Caps gotta come back now.

Kolbe: "Here's Ovechkin, the wrist shot, SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES!!!"

Top shelf. 2-2. Great, great, great.

Assists: Laich and Kozlov.

Now please stay out of the box for the last 4 minutes of the period.

Caps dominating with 1:40 left. Ovechkin had a chance.

Now, Brashear's line (great article about him on NHL.com, by the way: Brashear enjoying leadership role).

End of second, 2-2. It's a 20-minute series, now.

Shots were 13-9 Caps this period, and hits 9-7 Caps. Flyers slightly dominating at faceoff.

After shooting wide on his first 3 attempts, Ovechkin had 5 shots on goal in the first two periods.

3 minutes into the third, still 2-2.

Erskine with a big hit on Brière, and 4 seconds later Eminger hits Lupul, the crowd appreciates.

Umberger takes Fedorov down, no call.

Then Ovechkin gets checked by Kukkonen, the crowd is unhappy.

"Hartnell absolutely leveled by Milan Jurcina. He's down." (Kolbe)

Erskine with a good shot but Biron makes the save.

Shots are 7-3 after 10 minutes of play in the third period.

3-on-2 for the Caps, Bradley the shot, Biron the save, rebound, nothing.

Poti with 5 giveaways so far...

Caps outhitting the Flyers 12-3 in the third, so far, if I'm not mistaken. Could be anyone's game, though.

Flyers caught with 6 players on the ice by Kolbe, but no call.

Erskine with a wide open snap shot, diving save by Biron!!

Caps almost constantly in control, but shooting doesn't equal scoring.

5:17 left, timeout.

Shots are 15-4 Caps this period so far.

2:15 left.

The nerves you need to be able to play!

Kolbe's buddy: "Caps had a lot of opportunities this period. They gotta keep rolling the same way." But he said that on a tone that meant, they might regret that they didn't convert one of these chances.

5 seconds... Overtime.

Sudden death, now. This is gonna be huge. Score a goal and get a shot at the Stanley Cup. Give up a goal and your Cinderella season is over.

Caps and Flyers already went to overtime 20 years ago.

Fedorov has been dominating on faceoff in the third, I believe. Caps now leading in this department. Shots in regulation were 37-27 Caps, hits 32-27 Caps.

Overtime on.

Huet with two consecutive saves in front of Upshall, then he stops Lupul.

Ovechkin creating some offense, with Fedorov. He takes a shot, then Erskine, and Semin.

Poti called for tripping. Caps on the PK in OT. Gotta be strong, there. Hopefully, Laich or Steckel, short handed...

I guess you have to completely forget the importance of the game to be able to play now. Go, Caps!

Erskine and Upshall exchanging some words. Upshall trying to draw a penalty that he won't get.

Huet with the catching glove. 20 seconds left. Caps need to win the faceoff. Fedorov wins it, but Caps lose the puck soon after and Flyers score!!!!!!!

Oh, my.

What a disappointment. They so deserved to move on after all they've done.

I'm still proud of them. They have the experience, now. Let's sign Huet and get a couple of good players, and we'll have a good season next year. Coming back all the time was great, but it would be better to take the lead and keep it.

Goal was by Lupul, with 9 seconds left to the PP. Worst seat to watch this goal was in the penalty box.

I just told misto, I didn't like the crowd mood all night, more nasty than enthusiastic, and when the Caps flubbed that PP near the end of the 2nd, I got up and left just as Ovechkin scored. I honestly didn't think at that point that they would win. I did like Ovie going all the way back to Huet and tapping gloves with him, as if to say "I got that goal back for you! Now, keep us in there!"

I figured if they lost in regulation or OT, it was going to be a nasty ride home on the Metro; if they won, there was going to be another game soon; if it went OT, I'd be home to see it.

I'll write my thoughts on players and such tomorrow night- too much going on right now to be objective about it.

Kudos to the Caps for what they accomplished this season.

Short version of the recap posted so far is enough:

WASHINGTON (AP) -The Philadelphia Flyers finally figured out how to put away the Washington Capitals.

Joffrey Lupul put in a rebound during a power play 6:06 into overtime in Game 7 to lift Philadelphia past Alex Ovechkin and Washington 3-2 on Tuesday night 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 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.

Washington, meanwhile, dropped to 1-5 in Game 7s and is still waiting for its first playoff series victory since 1998, when it made it to the Stanley Cup finals. The Capitals will have to take solace in getting to the postseason for the first time since 2003, managing a remarkable turnaround under career minor league coach Bruce Boudreau, who took over for the fired Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving with the team 6-14-1 and last in the 30-team NHL.

Read further into that recap, and you see "Ovechkin hit early.... Ovechkin did.... Ovechkin assisted..... Ovechkin scored..... " Ovechkin, Ovechkin, Ovechkin- no one else really stepped up. Just like the entire season, just like the last 14-15 games of regulation play, just like most of the opening games of the playoffs.

Look who scored the winning goal for Philly- Lupul, his first playoff goal. Ever. Where was Poti after the game? Whining that "we couldn't beat the Flyers AND the refs", when his foul in OT was a legitimate trip, after the refs had already let Erskine's go a minute earlier. Man up, Poti- you screwed up, in the biggest hockey situation of your life. Own up to it, don't whine about it.

Melrose on ESPN has something right, too: there was a play in the 3rd that might have put the game away for the Caps, and both players involved read the play exactly backwards. The players?

Alexander Ovechkin, and Sergei Fedorov.

Ovie breaks in to the right, with the puck on his stick, Dman trailing to his left (can't get near the puck), and what does Mr. "Oh, my God- I see puck- I shoot!" do? he passes it crisply to Fedorov on the Dman's left, and Sergei never tries to put his stick on it for a wide open goal, because he never expected Ovechkin to pass in that situation. Ovechkin, the top scorer in the League, shows his immaturity by passing in a situation where he should shoot, and Fedorov shows his age by assuming Ovechkin will shoot, not pass.

C'est la vie, say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell...