SCHLADMING, Austria -- Hannes Reichelt has been ruled out of the Olympics because of a back injury, leaving the Austrian Alpine speed team without its main medal hope in Sochi. The Austrian ski federation said Monday that Reichelt had to undergo surgery in a sanatorium in Innsbruck for a herniated disk, only two days after winning a World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel, and therefore has to end his season prematurely. "I am glad I had my back checked today because the consequences (of skiing on) could have been bad for me," said Reichelt, who became the first Austrian in eight years to win the classic Kitzbuehel race. "The X-ray speaks for itself and surgery is unavoidable," Reichelt said. "Health comes in first place and I want to keep doing sports after my career. Unfortunately my Olympic dream is in shatters." Reichelt had been complaining about persistent back problems for weeks. They almost prevented him from starting in Saturdays race but he took medicines to ease the pain. Austria mens head coach Mathias Berthold called Reichelts absence in Sochi "a massive blow to all of us." The Austrian mens ski team failed to win any medal at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. For the technical races in Sochi, overall World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher is a strong favourite, but Austrias hopes for the downhill and the super-G were mainly with Reichelt. He is the only Austrian skier to win a downhill in the past two seasons. "I feel extremely sorry for Hannes. He misses out on the most important race of the season," said Berthold, who was expected to announce a replacement later Monday. "We knew before the downhill in Kitzbuehel that Hannes wasnt doing well," the coach said. "That he still won the race is almost incredible." Berthold said it wasnt an option for Reichelt to rely on painkillers to take part in the Olympic downhill on Feb. 9, the first Alpine event of the Games. "His condition is that bad, it would have been medically irresponsible to ski even once more," Berthold said. Besides his triumph in Kitzbuehel, Reichelt had four more podiums in World Cup speed events this season. He has seven career wins. His only Olympic race was the super-G in Turin in 2006, where he finished 10th. The federations sport director, Hans Pum, said Reichelt "was in the form of his life." "This is obviously really bitter," Pum said. "But health is the most important. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery and hope he returns soon." Wholesale Rockies Jerseys .ca. Kerry, In Mondays Habs/Bruins game, there were three questionable/brutal calls against the Habs late in the game - Tomas Plekanec, then Douglas Murray, then Brendan Gallagher. 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Not only did his team post a comeback 3-2 victory in a shootout over the Montreal Canadiens, but the rival Washington Capitals were beaten 5-1 in Buffalo.PHILADELPHIA -- A three-goal cushion was much easier for the Philadelphia Flyers to protect the second time around. Jakub Voracek scored two goals and the Flyers beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 Tuesday night for their seventh consecutive win at home. Two days after blowing a 4-1 third-period lead at Washington in a 5-4 shootout loss, the Flyers held this lead against the high-powered Capitals. "Up three, the guys talked about it and we couldnt let that happen again," said Matt Read, who had one of the five goals. "We took it as a 0-0 game, kept them on their heels. We had to do the simple things, the smart things." Mark Streit and Wayne Simmonds also had goals for the Flyers. Alex Ovechkin and Eric Fehr scored for Washington. "Its always hard to come back, especially in this building," Ovechkin said. "They got the lead with two goals and they just played safe. We had our chances but we didnt score." Steve Mason made 24 saves for Philadelphia, which evened its record at 15-15-4. The Flyers are 12-6-4 since an embarrassing 7-0 loss at home to the Capitals on Nov. 1. Theyll try to go over .500 for the first time this season Thursday night when they host Columbus. Down 2-1, the Flyers stormed back with three straight goals, including a pair on the same power play in the second period. First, Read scored his team-high 10th goal on a wrister to tie it at 2. Then Washingtons Tom Wilson received a 5-minute major and ejection for charging. Wilson sent Brayden Schenn crashing headfirst into the boards with a hit from behind. Schenn sustained an upper-body injury and didnt return, but the Flyers made the most of their 5-minute man advantage. Streit fired a one-timer from the left point past goalie Braden Holtby to make it 3-2. Voracek then sliid one inside the near post 72 seconds later for a 4-2 lead.dddddddddddd "Anytime you get a 5-minute power play, you have to make sure you get at least one," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. Capitals coach Adam Oates was not pleased with the call on Wilson. "Its a game-changing call which, which they call the way they think they see it," Oates said. "I cant do anything about it. Im also mad they dont get an instigator after that, because every single time we have one of our guys hit and a guy goes across its an automatic instigator to neutralize the play." Simmonds extended the lead to 5-2 in the third period. "We executed our game plan," he said. After a scoreless first period, Ovechkin got the scoring started 40 seconds into the second on a power play. Nicklas Backstroms pass from the far side of the net bounced off defenceman Nicklas Grossmanns skate, trickled away from Mason and went to Ovechkin, who backhanded it in for his NHL-best 28th goal. The Flyers answered 58 seconds later when Voracek took a pass from Braydon Coburn and skated in with Giroux on a 2-on-1 break. Voracek kept the puck and fired a wrister that beat Holtby to the stick side. "I surprised myself because I never shoot," Voracek said. "I always pass. Ive been that way since I was a kid." Fehr gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead in the second period when he scored on a one-timer off a perfect centring pass from behind the net by Troy Brouwer. NOTES: The Capitals recalled C Casey Wellman from the AHLs Hershey Bears. Wellman had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 23 games. ... Voracek has five goals in the last five games. ... Washington had played to a shootout in its previous three games. ... Simmonds snapped a 10-game drought with the goal. ' ' '