The Carolina Hurricanes tried to finish the Washington Capitals' season in their barn on Thursday night, shooting for their fourth win in the best-of-seven. The Canes defended home ice once again on Monday, winning 5-2 in Game 4 as everyone pulled on the rope. With the Capitals fighting for their postseason lives, the Canes sought to knock them out.
After weeks of anticipation, Alexander Nikishin finally made his NHL debut, replacing Jalen Chatfield as he deals with a lingering injury. Frederik Andersen was in the net. Logan Thompson aimed to get back on track after excellent starts in Games 1 and 2 in D.C. Lars Eller served as a healthy extra for the first time in the series as Washington tried to find a working formula.
As expected, the Capitals came out with something to play for and started on time. The Hurricanes' penalty kill did its job on an early chance, easing the group into the game. The captain took full advantage of it, putting the Canes ahead. Jordan Martinook got into the middle of a battle along the boards, popping the puck out to Jordan Staal, who picked the corner on a surprised Thompson.
A rare miscue by Jaccob Slavin allowed the Capitals to find the equalizer late in the period. While trying to make a pass around the net to Brent Burns, Anthony Beauvillier forced Slavin's pass to hit the boards and the side of the net. Andersen couldn't paddle it away as Beauvillier swooped in and tucked it home to tie it. The Canes made a tough push at the end of the period, but the tie remained.
For a split second, it looked like Washington had taken the lead early in the second period. Matt Roy's clapper from just beyond the right dot hit Andersen's glove and went into the net. However, the Canes' coaching staff called their timeout to get another look, opting to challenge. After a short review, the play was declared offside, wiping the goal off the board.
The Capitals continued to rule the roost for most of the period. It wasn't until late in the frame that it felt like the Canes were starting to commandeer momentum. Their late power play nearly struck, but Seth Jarvis's snipe at the horn hit the crossbar and the post to keep the game tied. It was an encouraging end to the period after an inauspicious start for the Hurricanes.
With their season on the line, the Capitals continued to run the Hurricanes into the ground with their suffocating pressure in the offensive zone. Andersen was the only thing standing in their way. He made several stops on dangerous transition chances, keeping Washington off the board a second time. This included a third penalty kill by the Canes.
As they'd done for most of the series, the Hurricanes bent, but they absolutely refused to break. Thompson had played well, but sharp-angle chances proved to be his downfall. With 1:59 left in regulation, Andrei Svechnikov found daylight from near the goal line. Again, Thompson was surprised by the shot as the puck found the back of the net.
Seth Jarvis, who picked up the secondary assist on Svechnikov's goal, added the nail in the coffin with less than 30 seconds left, scoring into the empty net. For the second time in three years and the third time under Rod Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes secured their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. The teams exchanged handshakes as the Canes sent the Caps packing for the summer.
The Hurricanes absorbed the Capitals' biggest punches for 11 rounds before landing the knockout blow in the 12th round. The Capitals emptied the tank with their backs against the wall. The disallowed goal early in the second period was deflating. It was far from their best chance during the final 40 minutes, but Frederik Andersen did what he'd done the entire series.
Alexander Nikishin's first NHL game was exactly what we expected it to be. He made plenty of mistakes. His turnover led to Washington's disallowed goal. Nikishin also showcased his booming shot a few times, ripping a 92 MPH blast for his first official shot. Perhaps his defining moment was this beautiful sequence against Alex Ovechkin. He looked like a rookie playing his first NHL game.
All three games in D.C. during this series could've gone either way with one or two changes. Fortunately, two of those games went the Canes' way. The Canes have a winning record on the road this postseason, seemingly exercising some of their road demons from the regular season. It felt like the Canes needed to end the series on Thursday. That's exactly what they did.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes are the second team to clinch a spot in the conference finals, joining the Edmonton Oilers on the western side. They'll patiently await the winner of the Atlantic Division battle between Toronto and Florida. The Panthers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 on Friday night in Sunrise. If Florida wins, Game 1 will be in Raleigh. When that happens is to be determined.