Ovechkin, Backstrom lead Capitals to 5-3 win over Flyers

Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom each had a goal and an assist, and the Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 Wednesday night to reclaim sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Brett Connolly, Tom Wilson and Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Capitals, who won their fifth straight and seventh in the last eight. Washington began the night tied with the Islanders atop the division.

Ovechkin moved one point from reaching 1,200 for his career. He will become the third active player and 49th all-time to reach the mark.

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin celebrates his power play goal along with Evgeny Kuznetsov, rear, John Carlson, front, and T.J. Oshie, right, rear, during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

Braden Holtby made 27 saves for his 250th career victory.

Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist, and Scott Laughton and Philippe Myers also scored for the Flyers, whose rally from a 5-0 deficit fell short. Philadelphia had won 16 of 21 to close within reach of a postseason spot after sinking to the NHL's worst record in January. The Flyers remained seven points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the first, Washington pushed its lead with three goals in the first 5:37 of the second.

Washington Capitals' Braden Holtby deflects the puck with his board during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. The Capitals won 5-3. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

Ovechkin opened the second-period scoring with a power-play tally at 2:32 with a wrist shot through goalie Brian Elliott's legs. It was the league-leading 46th goal for Ovechkin, who is four shy of reaching 50 goals for the eighth time in his career.

Burakovsky beat Elliott with a wrist shot from a sharp angle just under two minutes later to end Elliott's night. It was the first poor performance for Elliott since his return from a 40-game absence due to a lower body injury. He entered 3-0-1 in six appearances (four starts) since his return but allowed four goals on 19 shots against Washington.

The Capitals greeted Elliott's replacement, Cam Talbot, with more of the same, making it 5-0 on the first shot Talbot faced when a wide-open Backstrom fired a wrist shot high over the netminder from the slot.

Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson, left, and Philadelphia Flyers' Radko Gudas chase the puck behind the Flyers' net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

Philadelphia got on the board with 11.3 seconds left in the period when Myers netted his first career goal.

Giroux then got his 20th on a backhander 10 seconds into the third, and it was 5-3 when Laughton's deflection beat Holtby at 7:48.

NOTES: Philadelphia forwards Jakub Voracek (lower body) and Nolan Patrick (upper body) didn't play. ... Flyers rookie G Carter Hart (lower body) missed his sixth consecutive game. ... Washington has won both games this season against the Flyers. The teams will meet twice more in the regular season, next Thursday in Philadelphia and March 24 in Washington. ... Ovechkin has 57 points (34 goals, 23 assists) in 51 games against Philadelphia.

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin skates back to the bench after assisting on the goal by Tom Wilson during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

UP NEXT

Washington: Host New Jersey on Friday night.

Philadelphia: At the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

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The puck shot by Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson, not pictured, gets past Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Elliott for a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

Philadelphia Flyers' Brian Elliott, right, skates past Oskar Lindblom, left, as he leaves the game after giving up his fourth goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

Washington Capitals' Braden Holtby, left, defends the goal against the shot by Philadelphia Flyers' Oskar Lindblom during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. The Capitals won 5-3. (AP PhotoTom Mihalek)

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — The Japanese Grand Prix is only the third race of the new Formula 1 season, but it will be last one for five weeks with events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia called off because of the war in Iran.

The next F1 race is not until May 3 in Miami. Here's what we've learned so far from races in Australia and China with the Japanese GP set for Sunday:

Mercedes and Ferrari have adapted best to Formula's 1 most radical change in power and chassis in more than a decade.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have won each of the first two races, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have flip-flopped finishing third and fourth. Mercedes and Ferrari are the favorites on Suzuka's figure-eight circuit, located in central Japan and among F1's most storied venues.

Suzuka is a vastly different circuit from Australia — a street course in Melbourne — and Shanghai, which resembles many of the newer Formula 1 venues. Suzuka is old-school — narrow, twisting with only one major straightaway for passing.

Hamilton has won the Japanese GP five times, four times at Suzuka as he surges back near the top of the standings after two races.

McLaren has struggled after winning last season's drivers' championship with Lando Norris, and adding the constructors' title for good measure. But McLaren failed to even start the race two weeks ago in China with engine and electrical faults.

Asked on Thursday if the problem had been resolved, Norris replied: “I think it took a little bit of time to figure things out, but yes. Of course it hurt us as a team, certainly didn’t make us look good to have two cars not starting a race.”

Norris talked up the team which includes Oscar Piastri. It had the best car on the grid in the last two seasons, having won the constructors' title each time.

“Now is just as good a time as ever to prove exactly what we can do as a team — against Ferrari, against Mercedes, who are performing very well at the minute,” Norris said.

Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal, said Friday: “We understand the source of the problem. I both cases it was related to the electrical side of the power unit.”

Then there's Red Bull and four-time champion Max Verstappen, who had to retire in China. Verstappen has probably been the most vocal in criticizing this season's radical makeover of F1 racing, calling it “yo-yo racing” as top drivers surge to the front and just as quickly fall off the lead.

He's already looking ahead to the five-week break.

“We just need to keep working, keep trying to put more performance on the car," he said. “Maybe the little break we have now is a good time to look back and analyze even more things. Basically, try to be better in Miami.”

Verstappen kicked a journalist out of an interview session on Thursday, unhappy with what was written about him last season when the failed to win his fifth consecutive drivers' title.

Honda had great success as the engine supplier for Red Bull. This season it's had a horrible start as the engine supplier for Aston Martin with Red Bull moving to Ford power.

The Japanese manufacturer's power unit has caused severe vibrations and neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll have completed the two opening races.

Honda operates the Suzuka circuit. It's not the kind of publicity the company wants in its home race, and just getting both cars to finish the race would be a victory.

Koji Watanabe, the head of Honda Racing, said there's a plan to fix the problem.

“Well, we have some recovery plan together with Aston Martin but we cannot tell that today,” Watanabe said Friday. “The most difficult point (is) that we started the development a bit later compared to the others.”

Piastri was quickest in Friday's second practice session for Sunday's race. Piastri clocked 1 minute, 30.133 seconds. He was followed by Antonelli and Russell, Norris and with Ferrari's Leclerc and Hamilton rounding out the top six.

The second-session times were much quicker than times in the early session, which Russell led.

Alonso missed the early session but ran in the second. His time and that of teammate Stroll were among two of the three slowest.

Reports in Spain said Alonso was late arriving in Japan because his partner Melissa Jimenez gave birth to the couple’s first child. The team said only he was arriving late for personal reasons.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car into the pit during the second practice session Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain's car is seen in the garage as mechanics talk nearby in Suzuka, central Japan, Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad of Britain rides a bicycle ahead of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Suzuka, Central Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Ferrari mechanics stretch in front of the garage in Suzuka, central Japan, Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy works with his team members in the garage in Suzuka, central Japan, Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)