Flyers' Gostisbehere shakes off fatigue

WASHINGTON - Rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere conceded there was a stretch when he felt some fatigue creeping into his game, but he said he felt refreshed and ready for a grueling series with Washington.

If the Flyers have any hope at an upset, they need Gostisbehere playing at his best.

"I see him back at a high level," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said before Game 1 Thursday at the Verizon Center.

Hakstol said that Gostisbehere was "on the upswing as we came down the latter part of the stretch" and that playing a long, grinding season was part of the experience.

"Every player has to gain experience by going through things. I think Shayne has handled every experience very well."

This season, Gostisbehere played a combined 78 regular- season games with the Flyers and Phantoms. At Union College, he never played more than 42 games in a season.

"You play less games, but in college, you practice a heck of a time more than you do here," Gostisbehere said after the morning skate. "I think there's a little bit of a difference but not too much. I feel ready to go."

He was given a "maintenance day" - a day to reenergize - and did not practice Tuesday before joining his teammates Wednesday.

"We had a couple days off, and I think we're all ready to go," he said.

Gostisbehere, who turns 23 on Wednesday, had 17 goals and 46 points in a dominating rookie season.

"Obviously, this will be a new experience for him," Hakstol said of the playoffs, "but I expect him to have the presence he's had throughout the season."

The Flyers were 2-2 against the Capitals in the regular season and 2-1 with Gostisbehere in the lineup.

Gostisbehere said Washington's Alex Ovechkin was "the best player in the world for as reason," but later added, "you can't give him too much respect out there [because] you're still playing against him, and he's your opponent."

There will be times in this series when captain Claude Giroux is matched against former Flyers captain Mike Richards, who centered the Capitals' third line Thursday. It was the first time all season Richards centered left winger Jason Chimera and right winger Marcus Johansson.

Giroux had never faced Richards in the playoffs.

"I have a lot of respect for him; he helped my game a lot when I was younger," Giroux said. "Even when he wasn't on my team, he was helping me" with advice.

Richards called Giroux a good friend.

"I'm not surprised with how he's blossomed from when I was with him until now," Richard said. "Right from when he started, you could tell he just wanted the puck on his stick, and for a young player that says a lot. You can see it now, but with more confidence and more skill."