W2W4: Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals, Game 5

2:14 PM ET

WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5 of this Eastern Conference first-round series Friday at 7 p.m. ET at Verizon Center. The Capitals hold a 3-1 lead and can close out the best-of-seven series with a victory. Here’s what to watch for:

Down but not out: After staving off elimination with a 2-1 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday at Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers are confident they can scratch and claw their way back into this series. Ask any player in the playoffs why the fourth win is always the hardest to accomplish, especially when a team has a 3-0 lead, and the answers will all sound familiar.

“It’s like an animal. You’re killing an animal. He’s almost dying, he’s probably going to fight tooth and nail,” Capitals forward Jason Chimera said. “He’s going to fight right to the death. You get a guy on the brink, and he doesn’t want summer to start and he wants to prolong the season. He’s pretty tough to kick down.”

The Flyers emptied their tanks in Game 4, and in order to stay alive in this series they will have to do the same in Game 5. The Capitals expect another strong performance by Philadelphia, but they’re confident they can bounce back from …

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