Hurricanes defeat Capitals 5-2, putting them on the brink

The Carolina Hurricanes achieved a significant victory against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of their playoff series, winning 5-2 and taking a commanding 3-1 lead . This win places the Capitals on the brink of elimination, as they must win the next game to extend their postseason. The match was characterized by strong offensive performances from Hurricanes players, notably Taylor Hall and Sean Walker, both of whom contributed crucial goals during pivotal moments .

Hall scored on a breakaway set up by a stretch pass from Jack Roslovic at 8:24 of the third period Monday, giving the Hurricanes a two-goal cushion in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Second Round.

It proved to be the game-winning goal in a 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals that gave Carolina a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

"I just kind of read that Sean (Walker) was going to rim the puck around and 'Rosy' was going to have a bit of time," Hall said. "If I didn't get a breakaway there, we were going to exit with possession. I thought it was just something to try. 'Rosy' and I made eye contact and he made a great pass. We needed that goal."

It came 3:06 after Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored to make it 2-1, ending Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen's shutout streak at 123:24.

Walker's score was a big one, coming after the Capitals had pulled to within 3-2 on Alex Ovechkin's one-timer blast on a 5-on-3 power play with about eight minutes left. It started on a puck battle and the unusual sight of Washington's Rasmus Sandin skating in only to get the blade of his stick stuck in a gap along the boards, allowing Taylor Hall to collect the puck and flip a pass to the surging Walker up the left side.

Walker hesitated to cut behind Jack Roslovic and score at the 16:45 mark to push the lead back to 4-2, marking his first career postseason goal.

Svechnikov followed with his seventh postseason goal shortly after the Capitals pulled Thompson, the capper after Carolina twice led by two goals but had to hold on through the final 10 minutes.

The Capitals again kept the pressure on with Ovechkin's blast past Andersen on a two-man advantage at the 12:14 mark, dampening the rowdy zeal in Carolina's home arena. But that's when Hall and Walker teamed up for the goal that would reassert control.

It started on a puck battle and the unusual sight of Washington's Rasmus Sandin skating in to get the puck from Walker, only to get the blade of his stick stuck in a gap along the boards. Walker got to his feet as Hall collected the puck, then flipped a pass to Walker as he charged up the left side.

Walker hesitated to cut inside Roslovic toward the slot and beat Thompson at the 16:45 mark, pushing the lead back to 4-2 in what became a backbreaking score.

Despite a spirited effort from the Capitals, including goals from Jakob Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin that briefly narrowed the scoring gap, the Hurricanes maintained consistent pressure throughout the game. Sean Walker's first career postseason goal and an empty-netter from Andrei Svechnikov ultimately sealed the victory for Carolina . The Hurricanes' effective penalty kill and timely responses to Washington's scoring efforts were instrumental in securing this decisive win.

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Sarah H

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