Simmonds scores 2 goals, helps lift Flyers

6-3 win over Caps moves team within four points of Washington

PHILADELPHIA » Wayne Simmonds scored two goals to help lift the Philadelphia Flyers past the Washington Capitals 6-3 on Sunday night.

Oskar Lindblom, Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov and Jakub Voracek also had goals for Philadelphia (37-25-11, 85 points), which stayed in third place in the Metropolitan Division and moved within four points of the first-place Capitals (4124-7, 89 points). The Flyers began play tied with Columbus, which was idle Sunday, but have a tiebreaker over the Blue Jackets. Up next for Philadelphia: The Flyers are at Detroit on Tuesday night.

Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 43rd goal of the season, and Chandler Stephenson and John Carlson had goals for the Capitals, whose four-game winning streak was snapped.

The Flyers took the lead for good on Lindblom’s first career goal with 1:41 left in the second period. Voracek passed to the rookie in the slot, and Lindblom’s wrist shot went off goalie Philipp Grubauer’s blocker, off the pipe and then into the goal. The rookie went 12 straight games without a point before picking up an assist in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Carolina.

Philadelphia extended its lead to 3-1 with 18.3 seconds left in the period when Provorov’s wrist shot from the side boards got through traffic, deflected off defenseman Christian Djoos’ leg and past Grubauer.

Simmonds’ deflection of Robert Hagg’s slap shot made it 4-1 1:37 into the third period.

After Stephenson finished a 2-on-1 to pull the Capitals within 4-2 with 9:29 left, Simmonds scored his second of

DERIK HAMILTON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Philadelphia Flyers’ goalie Petr Mrazek, left, celebrates a victory over the Washington Capitals with Wayne Simmonds after an NHL hockey game, Sunday in Philadelphia.