The Carolina Hurricanes maintained their newly earned home ice advantage on Saturday night, shutting out the Washington Capitals in Game 3. Washington dominated the early portion of the game before the Canes rattled off four unanswered goals, taking a 2-1 series lead with a 4-0 victory. With a chance to put the Capitals on the edge of elimination, a war was expected on Monday.
After taking the morning to rest, Frederik Andersen was confirmed as the Game 4 starter for the Hurricanes. Jalen Chatfield and Jordan Martinook were good to go after missing the end of Game 3 with injuries. Logan Thompson was also back in the crease for the Capitals. Washington's only change saw Ryan Leonard re-enter the lineup after being scratched for the last two games.
Like Game 3, the Capitals started on time. Connor McMichael had an early backhand chance kicked out by Andersen as Washington owned the early edge. However, the Canes didn't wait until the second period to get going. Shayne Gostisbehere's patience paid off. Gostisbehere walked the line and snapped one through a screen to fool Thompson and score the opening goal midway through.
The Canes' penalty kill took center stage for the latter half of the frame. After killing a Seth Jarvis rough, Jordan Martinook took a double-minor for high-sticking, giving Washington a chance to snag momentum at the end of the period. Instead, the Canes dug in to kill all by 24 seconds as the horn sounded for the intermission. With the first first-period goal of the series, the Canes led 1-0.
The rest of the penalty was successfully killed to start the second period, allowing the Canes to double their lead shortly after. Thompson flubbed Sebastian Aho's shot. After the puck hit his glove and the crossbar, Jarvis was on the spot to pop home the rebound. It was another preventable goal allowed by the Capitals' netminder, but the Canes would take them any way they could.
Washington started to regain its identity as the period played on. They brought the physicality and found lanes to create scoring chances. Andersen was all over it, making stop after stop. Thompson looked better, too. The Canes could've easily extended their advantage before the end of the period. Instead, the lead remained at two with 20 minutes to go.
The Capitals finally broke past Andersen early in the third period, cutting their deficit to one. Jakub Chychrun snuck down the slot and buried a perfect pass from Matt Roy into the empty net. The one-goal game didn't last long. Jack Roslovic found Taylor Hall behind the Capitals' defense, allowing the former Hart winner to bury a breakaway. Just like that, the lead was back to two goals.
Alex Ovechkin finally made his presence felt in the series, burying a one-timer from his office while the Capitals had a 5-on-3. Hall and Dmitry Orlov were in the box, giving Ovechkin plenty of room to do what he's done hundreds of times. Sean Walker found a quick response, scoring his first postseason goal before Andrei Svechnikov buried the puck into the empty net, giving the Canes a 3-1 series lead.
The ball has been in the Canes' court since winning in Game 1, and they refuse to give it back to the Capitals. One of the best home teams in the league defended home ice perfectly against a very good road team. Now, the Hurricanes have three chances to advance while Washington's season is in the balance every time they hit the ice.
Two areas of the Canes' game stood out on Monday. First, their depth was more impactful than Washington's. Twelve players found the scoresheet, including nine of the 12 forwards. Whether it was the stars or the players at the bottom of the lineup, everyone's fingerprints were all over this one. Sean Walker and Taylor Hall led the way with a goal and an assist each.
Second, the Hurricanes did a masterful job of ensuring Washington's momentum swings were short-lived. Both of Washington's goals were quickly met with a Hurricanes goal. The Canes never gave the Capitals much time to feel good about their position. Once it was a one-goal game, the home team matched Washington's desperation.
At different points in this game, the penalty kill was tasked with killing a double-minor and a 5-on-3. During those four power plays, they only conceded a goal during the two-man disadvantage to the league's best power-play scorer of all time. The kill could've easily rolled over and given Washington a free pass back into the series. Instead, they finished 4-for-5 in the win to take a commanding lead.
Game 5: Thursday's Game 5 will be the first elimination game of the series as the Hurricanes aim for their third Eastern Conference Final in seven seasons. In front of their fans, the Capitals will draw off the crowd's energy to push for a return trip to Raleigh. The Canes must relish this opportunity to finish the series on Thursday night.