Flyers Sneak One By Capitals

The Philadelphia Flyers, their record winless streak a fading memory, gathered more momentum for the playoffs. The Washington Capitals gathered their 42nd loss, their most in 21 years.

Keith Jones and Steve Duchesne scored on two of the Flyers' first five shots as a vocal majority of visiting Philadelphia fans cheered a 2-1 victory Saturday night, moving the Flyers two points ahead of Buffalo in the battle for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

"In the playoffs, it's always close checking and games often end up 2-1, so this is definitely the kind we've got to win," said Flyers coach Roger Neilson, whose team is 6-3-1 since a franchise-record 12-game winless streak.

The loss means the defending conference champion Capitals, 31-42-6 with three games remaining, will finish at least eight games below .500, their worst season record since the 26-41-13 team of 1981-82. The 42 losses are the most since the 1977-78 team went 17-49-14.

Late-season call-up Benoit Gratton scored in the third period for the Capitals, who have lost eight of their last 10 and regularly skate half a dozen players who would normally be in the minors. Injuries and trades have left behind a skeleton of the lineup that lost to Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals last year.

"We're going to go young," coach Ron Wilson said. "We can't have seven 35-or-older players next year or we'll be in the same position we're in now."

The game's second goal seemed a fitting calamity for the Capitals' woeful season. Duchesne's slap shot from the point was high, but it bounced out of goaltender Olaf Kolzig's glove and was kicked into the net by defender Ken Klee at 9:49 of the first period.

Kolzig also couldn't hang on to Jones' slap shot on a 2-on-1 break a few minutes earlier, allowing the right wing to put in his own rebound for the opening goal at 6:22.

By then, any attempt to chant "Lets Go, Caps" in the lower deck was being repeatedly overwhelmed by the "Let's Go, Flyers" upper-deck cheer from the thousands of orange-clad fans who made the 140-mile trip from Philadelphia. Capitals fans shown on the giant scoreboard during the game were booed loudly.

"We seem to attract a crowd," said goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, who made 17 saves. "It's exciting when we can win in front of our fans."

There was one resounding hometown cheer, however, and it came with 12:02 remaining when Gratton skated in front of the crease and took a deflected pass from Brian Bellows to score his second NHL goal.

But it was only the third goal the Capitals scored all season against the Flyers, who scored 11 in return to sweep the four-game season series.

The game also marked Craig Berube's first game against the Capitals since he was traded as part of a free-agent veteran purge March 23. One fan lamented Berube's return with a sign using Berube's nickname: "We miss our Chief."

"It's tough," Berube said of his return visit. "But you've got to move on."

Flyers right wing Brian Wesenberg suffered a mild concussion in the first period and did not return.

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