W2W4: Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers, Game 4

2:01 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Capitals will attempt to eliminate the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of this Eastern Conference first-round series Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center.

The Capitals hold a 3-0 lead in this best-of-seven series, but they’re anticipating a strong push back from the Flyers once the puck drops.

Washington expects “a good hockey game,” said Capitals coach Barry Trotz. “The Flyers, their backs are against the wall and they’re going to come out with their best effort. They’re going to have to play disciplined. They’re going to play hard. We expect that and we’ll try to counter.”

On the ropes: While the Flyers will attempt to stave off elimination, the Capitals want to end this series as soon as possible. Trotz believes a longer rest before a possible second-round series would be key for Washington to have continued success in the playoffs. He remembers his team running out of gas in Game 7 of its second-round series against the New York Rangers last postseason. “The sooner you get to four [wins] it gives you a couple of opportunities to rest guys, heal guys, a little mental break from the pressures of playoff hockey and a little more time to prepare,” Trotz said.

Masked men: Since the Flyers are down 3-0, Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol has decided to make a goalie change and will replace Steve Mason with Michal Neuvirth for Game 4. Neuvirth has played only once in the last month because of a lower-body injury, but he’s healthy and rested. He also had a strong season and posted an 18-8-4 record, a 2.27 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in 32 games. If he hadn’t suffered that injury last month, it’s likely he would have been the …

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