NHL Live Wire put microphones on Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson and referee Dan O'Rourke at Verizon Center on Thursday to capture the sounds of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round series.

For additional insight into the Eastern Conference First Round series between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, NHL.com enlisted the help of Gary Agnew to break down the action. This is Agnew's final analysis of the series.

Agnew, 55, was an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also served as interim coach of the Blue Jackets for five games during the 2006-07 season, and he has been coach of Syracuse of the American Hockey League and London and Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League.

The Washington Capitals did what many expected them to do in eliminating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in the Eastern Conference First Round. The Capitals, who wrapped up the best-of-7 series with a 1-0 victory in Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, were the runaway Presidents' Trophy winners with 120 points in the regular season and demonstrated why in defeating the Flyers, who needed to go 15-5-3 in their final 23 games to get into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the conference's second wild card.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers were six points out of a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Feb. 18.

They went 16-6-4 in their final 26 games and clinched the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with a win in their second-to-last game of the regular season

All the momentum they built during that run, however, was wiped out in six games by the Washington Capitals.

The Washington Capitals were the victors in a hard-fought six-game Eastern Conference First Round series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Washington shut out Philadelphia in Games 1 and 6, scored five power-play goals in Game 3 and dominated practically every area on the ice during the series, despite being shut out in Game 5. Special teams were a deciding factor; eight of Washington's 14 goals in the series were scored on the power play and its penalty kill shut down the Flyers.

Here are five reasons the Capitals advanced to the second round:

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers had the perfect situation in the second period of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday. 

Nicklas Backstrom, one of the Capitals' top penalty killers, was in the penalty box for four minutes because of a high-sticking double-minor. Five seconds later, he was joined by teammate Matt Niskanen, giving the Flyers a two-minute, 5-on-3 advantage. 

PHILADELPHIA -- In the moments following the Washington Capitals' 1-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday, the sound of clapping and some cheering could be heard in the hallway outside the celebratory visiting locker room at Wells Fargo Center.

After finishing off the Flyers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference First Round, the Capitals could finally exhale and get ready for a star-powered second-round matchup with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

PHILADELPHIA -- After killing off a two-minute 5-on-3 power play early in the second period of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Philadelphia Flyers, the momentum shift for the Washington Capitals was tangible.

"The 5-on-3 today, if we don't get through that, this building probably explodes," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday to win the best-of-7 series 4-2.

Nicklas Backstrom's goal 8:59 into the second period gave the Capitals their first lead since the end of their 6-1 win in Game 3 and ended Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth's shutout streak at 106 minutes and 21 seconds. That was enough for Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby, who made 26 saves for his second shutout of the series.

The Capitals advance to the second round to face the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins, who dispatched the New York Rangers in five games in their first-round series. It will be the second playoff series -- and first since 2010 -- between Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

PHILADELPHIA -- Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom scored the only goal in the Capitals' 1-0 victory of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday.

The Capitals won the best-of-7 series 4-2 and will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. The Penguins defeated the New York Rangers in five games in their first-round series.

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan was the voice of the organization's embarrassment in the third period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals. 

Now he's the face of a giveaway T-shirt for fans attending Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday (12 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).