Welcome to Game 5, friends. The Washington Capitals are on the brink and they need a win to keep their season alive. Trailing 3-1 in their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, they’ll need to win 3 straight to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2018.
In an attempt to do so, Spencer Carbery made some major changes to his forward lines, scratching Lars Eller and icing Connor McMichael in the third-line center spot. Ovi will skate with Beauvi, while the second line will go huge: Protas-Dubois-Wilson. On the Canes’ end of the ice, Alexander Nikishin will make his NHL debut, replacing an injured Jalen Chatfield.
Puck drop for Game 5 is at 7:00 pm on TNT. Let’s go Caps! Unleash the Fury?
Lines
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes
Tunnel shenanigans
Don’t tell me the odds
1st Period
Bob McDonald and Caleb Green sing the national anthem.
Puck is dropped. Protas-Dubois-Wilson and Chychrun-Roy get the start against Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis and Slavin-Burns.
Nikishin got lost in coverage on his first shift.
Dmitry Orlov to the box for hooking Ryan Leonard at 5:30.
Caps power play.
Carlson a great chance from the left circle but he couldn’t get the one-timer off. That was the only shot on goal they had on the power play.
Canes kill power play.
🚨 1-0 Carolina Hurricanes. CAR Goal: Jordan Staal (1). Assists: J. Martinook (5). Time: 09:38.
Staal’s first of the postseason and he scores from not much of an angle. Brian Boucher described it as a “backbreaking goal.” Just a tough goal for Thompson to give up when the Caps are down 3-1 in the series.
🚨 1-1 tie. WSH Goal: Anthony Beauvillier (2). Unassisted. Time: 13:41.
Beauvillier forces Slavin into a bad d-to-d pass behind the net. The puck clanks off the right side of the net where he beats Andersen at the crease. Big goal to tie it up.
Jakob Chychrun rings one off the post after driving the center lane on a rush with 1:45 remaining.
Canes had an empty net after a big Thompson rebound to the other side of the net. Stankoven shot it along the ice but the Caps goalie reached his stick across and just steered the puck wide.
At intermission: It’s 1-1. The Canes are outshooting the Caps 8-4 and out-attempting them at five-on-five, 17 to 16.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 2-1 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Matt Roy (2). Assists: C. McMichael (3). Time: 02:15.
Hurricanes challenge: No Goal.
Connor McMichael was offside on the entry. The goal is wiped out. 19 seconds is added back to the clock. I’m feeling Mcawful currently.
Nikishin to the box for tripping at 5:27. He broke up a 2-on-1 by tipping the puck with his stick… that’s not a penalty.
Caps power play.
Sounded like Ovechkin hit the post with a one-timer. He was wide open in the left circle.
Canes kill power play.
Anthony Beauvillier going across the blue line laterally and trips Brent Burns at 8:39. Just the dumbest of penalties at this point in the game.
Canes power play.
Caps kill penalty.
Chychrun with a shot on goal around the 7:20 mark. Capitals just went 12 minutes without a shot per the TNT telecast.
Alex Ovechkin nearly had a two minute shift. He had the puck stolen from him by rookie Alexander Nikishin in the offensive zone and then the Caps couldn’t get out of their own zone.
TVR to the box for an unwish retaliatory slash on Gostisbehere at 18:19.
Canes power play.
Tom Wilson with a huge shot block off his right ankle. Yikes. He seems okay though at the bench. (or good hiding the pain)
Seth Jarvis hits TWO POSTS and the puck stays out. Holy f. A game of centimeters, folks!
At intermission: We’re tied 1-1. Canes lead in shots 16 to 9 and 34 to 31 in five-on-five attempts. The Caps followed up their 4 shot first period with 5 in the second. Not going to get it done. 19 seconds of the Canes power play will extend into the third period.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Caps kill penalty.
Stretch pass gives PLD a semi-breakaway.
Martinook charges Tom Wilson at 0:56.
Caps power play. This is huge.
Jordan Staal nearly sprung on a breakaway shorthanded but Caps break it up thank goodness.
Canes kill penalty.
Jarvis with a hard take to the net out of the penalty box. Big save by Thompson.
Huge save by Andersen on Ovechkin down right wing. Ovi then checked over Andersen by Brent Burns.
Both teams battling hard at five-on-five for the decisive goal.
A Sandin defensive zone turnover almost ended it. Omg.
A 90 MPH Ovechkin shot goes wide.
OH NO.
🚨 2-1 Carolina Hurricanes. CAR Goal: Andrei Svechnikov (8). Assists: S. Walker (2), S. Jarvis (6). Time: 18:01.
From almost no angle. Terrible goal give up by Thompson.
🚨 3-1 Carolina Hurricanes. CAR ENG: Seth Jarvis (4). Unassisted. Time: 19:33.
The Capitals season is over.
Hurricanes win 3-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference Final, taking the series 4-1.
Washington Capitals eliminated by Carolina Hurricanes in 3-1 loss
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