PHILADELPHIA — A win with a capital "W."

Coming off a disastrous performance on Monday against the New York Rangers, and facing yet another division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers reestablished who they are. In a chippy game between two teams clinging to playoff hopes, the Flyers bested the visiting Washington Capitals, 4-1.

The win tied the Flyers and Capitals at 71 points in the Eastern Conference standings and moved the Flyers seven back of the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot. They also trail eight points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders for the last two spots in the Metropolitan Division.

In their 64th game of the season, the Flyers trailed for the 44th time when Ryan Leonard scored a power-play goal in the first period after Trevor Zegras was called for hooking.

The rookie Leonard dug the puck out of a pile along the half-wall, curled atop the left circle, and scored short-side past goalie Sam Ersson, who was making his first start since Feb. 28. Ersson, who got cleanup duty on Monday, may have been screened on the goal by Rasmus Ristolainen, who was trying to defend Leonard, and Travis Sanheim.

On his 29th birthday, Travis Konecny scored his 24th goal of the season, the same total he scored last season across 82 games, and tied the game up at 1-1. The goal came in the second period when his buddy, Sanheim, skated into the offensive zone down the left boards with Zegras, and they attracted four defenders.

Sanheim found a seam and sent the puck across the ice to Konecny, who received the puck in the right circle. He skated down and found a hole short-side past Washington goalie Logan Thompson.

Konecny has recorded at least a point when he’s played on his last four birthdays, and he has 58 points in 60 games this season. Alex Bump recorded his first NHL assist on the play.

Later in the middle frame, Zegras and Owen Tippett played hot potato — the good kind, not the kind coach Rick Tocchet mentioned on Monday — to give the Flyers their first lead at home since Feb. 28.

Tippett picked off a pass by Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas intended for Tom Wilson inside the Flyers’ blue line and took off. Zegras was right there with him as they got behind the defense, and Tippett passed it to Zegras as they crossed the Capitals’ blue line. He touched it back to Tippett, and then he touched it back to Zegras, who eventually beat Thompson.

The goal was Zegras’ 22nd of the season, one off his career-high.

In the third period, Jamie Drysdale extended the lead to 3-1 with his seventh goal of the season, tying his career-high set last year.

Cam York got a rebound shot on Thompson, and Noah Cates picked up the loose puck, carrying it around the net and trying a wrap-around. It slid off his stick right to Drysdale, who showed some patience before scoring past the blocker of Thompson.

Tippett, who was playing a physical, speed game, added an empty-netter for his 21st of the season and his first multipoint game since Jan. 23.

Breakaways

Forward Garnet Hathway and defenseman Emil Andrae were healthy scratches for the second straight game.

Up next

After the game, the Flyers head to Minnesota to take on Bobby Brink and the Wild on Thursday.

©2026 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.