NHL Roundup : Flyers Fall to Capitals on Deflected Goal

Kelly Miller’s aim was off but his luck was right on.

Miller’s shot deflected off the skate of Philadelphia defenseman Kjell Samuelsson and into the net with 1:33 left in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Flyers Sunday at Landover, Md.

“Anytime you get into overtime, you just want to get something on net,” Miller said. “You hope you get a break and that it goes in.”

Miller picked up a loose puck behind the Philadelphia goal and came around the left side. He got off a backhand shot that caromed off Samuelsson and past goalie Ron Hextall.

Pete Peeters made 28 saves in recording his first shutout since he beat Quebec, 3-0, on Nov. 23, 1985. He is 5-1-3 in his last nine games. It was the fifth time the Flyers have been shut out this season.

The victory moved Washington into second place in the Patrick Division, four points behind the Flyers and one ahead of the third-place New York Islanders.

Hextall sat in front of his locker after the game, going over the game-winning shot.

“He came around the net and his shot hits a defenseman’s skate and into the net,” Hextall said. “It was just a bad break for us.

“We played well and they did. It was a game that either team could win. We got a bad break late and it cost us.”

The victory was Washington’s first after going 0-2-6 in overtime games this season.

Each team had one shot hit the post. Philadelphia’s Brian Propp hit the post from in close in the first period and Washington’s Dale Hunter hit a post from the left face-off circle in the second period.

Buffalo 4, Winnipeg 4--Ray Sheppard scored his second goal of the game with 2:20 left in the third period to give the Sabres a 4-4 tie with the Jets at Buffalo.

Mark Kumpel scored an unassisted goal at 12:46 of the third to give the Jets a 4-3 lead after the Sabres tied it, 3-3, at 8:51 of the third period on a rebound goal by John Tucker.

After a scoreless first period, five goals were scored in the second. Winnipeg opened a 2-0 lead on goals by Dale Hawerchuk and Randy Carlyle before Sheppard’s first goal made it 2-1.

Iain Duncan restored Winnipeg’s two-goal lead at 18:02 before Phil Housley scored for Buffalo with 51 seconds left in the period.