The Washington Capitals head into Thursday’s Game 5 matchup with the visiting Carolina Hurricanes knowing they must win the next three games to keep their second-round series going and advance to the NHL’s Eastern Conference final.
Even with their season on the line, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery’s message to his players remains the same.
“It’s just winning one hockey game, and then what gives us confidence that we can do that? We’ve done it in this series,” Carbery told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ve been a great hockey team all year long. We’ve been a good home team all year long.”
Washington is 4-1 on home ice this postseason, with the only blemish coming in Game 1 against the Hurricanes on May 6 when the Capitals fell 2-1 in overtime.
After the teams split two close games in Washington to start the best-of-seven series, the Hurricanes took control by winning both home games by a combined score of 9-2. This marks the ninth time the franchise has held a 3-1 edge in the playoffs. It won the other eight series.
If there was a bright spot for the Capitals down in Carolina, it was the third period of Game 4. They scored twice to cut the deficit to just one goal before the Hurricanes added two late to win 5-2. Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin got his first of the series on a 5-on-3 power play in that period.
Ovechkin, the Capitals’ 39-year-old forward, took a maintenance day and did not practice with the team, but Carbery said he had no concerns about his team’s captain for Game 5.
Washington did make a few line changes in practice, signaling tweaks that may come into play Thursday.
Forward Connor McMichael, a natural center, moved back to that position with third-line wingers Andrew Mangiapane and Ryan Leonard. Anthony Beauvillier, who has played up and down in the lineup, practiced with top-line center Dylan Strome, and Aliaksei Protas moved down to the second line with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson.
Beauvillier has 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 64 career playoff appearances. He had a goal and four assists in the first four games against Montreal in the opening round but has not earned a point since.
Carolina has been a favorite to win the Stanley Cup for most of the season due to its veteran core, with Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov all having been part of the Hurricanes’ deep postseason runs in the last few seasons. However, a couple of newcomers are also playing key roles.
Rookie forward Jackson Blake, 21, has two goals and three assists in the first nine NHL postseason games of his career. Logan Stankhoven, the 22-year-old center acquired from Dallas in the Mikko Rantanen trade, has three goals and two helpers after notching three goals and five assists with the Stars in 19 Stanley Cup playoff games last season.
They are among eight Carolina skaters with at least five points this postseason.
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he appreciates the spark the younger players have brought to the team.
“It’s not carefree, but they’re almost looser than the other guys, because they all think they got 10 more, 20 more kicks at it,” Brind’Amour said. “I think the older guys all know that it’s a precious time. So I think there can be a real nice mix there.”
