Flyers top Capitals in key wild-card battle

Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett lead Philadelphia to 4-1 win over Washington

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 in a key matchup between two teams fighting for an NHL playoff wild-card spot. Travis Konecny scored on his 29th birthday, Owen Tippett had a goal and an assist, and Samuel Ersson made 21 saves for the Flyers. Ryan Leonard scored the lone goal for the Capitals, who have lost four of their last five games.

Why it matters

This was an important game between two teams trying to climb into the Eastern Conference's second and final wild-card spot. The win gives the Flyers a boost in the standings, while the Capitals missed an opportunity to gain ground in the tight playoff race.

The details

The Capitals struck first with a power-play goal from Ryan Leonard in the first period, but the Flyers responded with two goals in the second period from Konecny and Travis Zegras to take the lead. Jamie Drysdale and an empty-net goal from Tippett in the third period sealed the victory for Philadelphia.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 12, 2026.
  • Konecny scored his 24th goal of the season at 4:23 of the second period to tie the game 1-1.
  • Zegras gave the Flyers the lead with his 22nd goal of the season about 8 minutes into the second period.
  • Drysdale scored the Flyers' third goal at 7:17 of the third period.
  • Tippett added an empty-net goal with 1:03 remaining to clinch the victory.

The players

Travis Konecny

A 29-year-old forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who scored the game-tying goal on his birthday.

Owen Tippett

A forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who scored a goal and added an assist in the win.

Samuel Ersson

The goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers who made 21 saves in the victory.

Ryan Leonard

A forward for the Washington Capitals who scored the team's lone goal in the loss.

Alex Ovechkin

The star forward for the Washington Capitals who failed to score a goal and has now gone 11 of his last 12 games without a goal.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to battle and find ways to win these close games if we want to make the playoffs.”

— Travis Konecny, Forward, Philadelphia Flyers

“It's frustrating to lose another close game, but we have to regroup and find a way to get back in the win column.”

— Ryan Leonard, Forward, Washington Capitals

What’s next

The Flyers will look to build on this win as they continue their push for a playoff spot, while the Capitals will try to bounce back and get back in the win column in their next game.

The takeaway

This was a crucial game in the tight Eastern Conference wild-card race, with the Flyers emerging victorious to gain ground on the Capitals. The result highlights the importance of key players like Konecny and Tippett stepping up for the Flyers down the stretch as they try to secure a postseason berth.