The Flyers put in a brutal effort for the first half of Game 5 vs. the Capitals. After getting a 5-on-3, Vinny Prospal scored to make the score 2-1, and it wasn’t until this point where the Flyers decided they might want to try and win the game. The Flyers dominated the third, but the teams traded goals, and the Caps won Game 5 3-2.

Suffice to say, there should not be more incentive to end this series when you can and get some rest. With a win today, the Flyers would have been off until at least Wednesday. If the Flyers would have played the entire game in Game 1, the series would have been over. Now, we have to play a game 6, and the Caps are stilling hanging around.

One other major issue is that Mike Knuble, who flanks Jeff Carter with Scottie Upshall, and was the Game 4 hero with the double-OT winner, caught a rut in the ice late in the second period. He will miss at least Games 6 and 7 with a “hamstring problem” as it was described on TV here in Philly. Speculation has ensued on who will take his place — grinder/fighter Riley Cote who played in games 1 and 2, or Steve Downie, who will bring the crazy, but has been a healthy scratch the entire series, and in 9 of 12 games to end the regular season.