The Washington Capitals need a win and they need it badly.
Looking at the Eastern Conference standings, tonight’s road game against the Carolina Hurricanes is essentially the Capitals’ last game in-hand on other teams around them fighting for the second wild card spot. They currently sit one point behind the New York Islanders and are among four teams battling for that eighth seed. They are also one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the third and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Spencer Carbery will go with Darcy Kuemper in net as Charlie Lindgren played last night. The last time the Capitals and Hurricanes played, Washington won 7-6 in a shootout in the most wild game of the season. Sonny Milano scored his first career hat trick that night.
Tonight’s game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is a little after 7 pm.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Scratches: Matthew Phillips, Vincent Iorio, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Hunter Shepard
Carolina Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov will not play due to illness.
Scratches: Brendan Lemieux, Scott Morrow, Tony DeAngelo, and Frederik Andersen
Tunnel weirdness
Miro's catching on#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/8vf2skkLKR
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 5, 2024
1st Period
Darcy Kuemper will oppose Pyotr Kochetkov in net.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scores his 850th career goal against Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov! 1-0 Capitals. Ovi has 20 goals in his last 30 games. Assists: Dylan Strome and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Time of goal 3:31.
Evgeny Kuznetsov to the box for suplexing (holding) Nic Dowd at 10:24.
🚨 2-0 Capitals. A multi-goal period for Alex Ovechkin as the Capitals captain strikes again on a deflection off his body. It’s his 29th goal of the season and career goal number 851. He has turned into the Russian Mike Knuble. AssistsL John Carlson and Dylan Strome. Time of goal 19:15.
The Hurricanes outshot the Capitals 18 to 6 in the first period and out-attempted them at 5v5, 25 to 9. It’s the exact opposite of the first period against the Penguins last night. PS – The Capitals are 17-2-0 this season when leading after the first period.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Max Pacioretty to the box for holding Dmitry Orlov’s stick at 1:59.
The Hurricanes keep putting shots on net in waves. But Darcy Kuemper is the difference. They are outshooting Washington through 29 minutes, 25 to 7.
TVR to the box for tripping at 11:28.
Pyotr Kochetkov robs Tom Wilson on a breakaway and then Connor McMichael seconds later wide open in front of the net.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Jake Guentzel scores on a breakaway after he’s sprung by a lob pass into the offensive zone. Initially Spencer Carbery considered challenging for offside, but it looked just barely legal on replay. Assists: Jaccob Slavin and Jesper Fast. Time of goal 14:30.
Jaccob Slavin to the box for holding Alex Ovechkin at 16:17. It’s only his fourth minor of the season.
Darcy Kuemper stops Sebastian Aho with his glove on a shorthanded breakaway
The Capitals are getting absolutely outclassed by the Hurricanes, but it’s somehow still 2-1 WSH. The Hurricanes are outshooting the Capitals 31 to 10 and out-attempting them at 5v5, 53 to 15.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Caps just holdingggggg on.
Ovechkin loses control of the puck on a semi-breakaway.
Noesen goes to the box for interfering Ivan Miroshnicheko at 9:28. Miro was slow to get up.
Ovechkin hits the crossbar seconds into the power play.
Sonny Milano ends the Capitals power play with 15 seconds left due to interference.
🚨 2-2 tie. Martin Necas ties it up with a slick shot from the left circle on the power play. Assists: Brady Skjei and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Time of goal 11:40. Necas looked like Ovi there.
Huge shift by the Caps first line but Kochetkov stands strong, including a huge save on Ovechkin just outside the crease.
Rasmus Sandin to the box for hooking at 17:41. The Caps and Spencer Carbery are furious at the bench. Caps will have to kill the power play to get a standings point here.
🚨 3-2 Canes. Sebastian Aho scores on a big rebound off a Brent Burns shot. Canes get their first lead of the game. Assists: Brent Burns and Jake Guentzel. Time of goal 18:09.
🚨 4-2 Canes. Jake Guentzel scores an empty-netter with 6 seconds remaining.
Caps lose and fritter away their game in-hand. The Capitals were horrendous, awful, bad bad bad in this game. They were outshot 46 to 15 and out-attempted 73 to 26 at five-on-five.
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