Capitals attain second spherical of NHL playoffs with Recreation 5 win in opposition to Canadiens – USA Right this moment

A yr after being swept within the first spherical, the Washington Capitals are heading to the second spherical after a 4-1 win in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens in Recreation 5.
Credit score an offseason retool that allowed Washington to leap from eighth within the Jap Convention to first. It carried that enchancment into the playoffs.
The Capitals have reached the second spherical for the primary time since their championship run in 2018. Their win Wednesday was a mix of the leftovers from that workforce and the newcomers.
Longtime captain Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, opened the scoring at 9:12 of the primary interval, ripping a shot previous Jakub Dobes after a Dylan Strome faceoff win.
Newcomer Jakob Chychrun scored just a little greater than two minutes later after leaping in from the purpose. Veteran Tom Wilson, who had a series-changing hit in Game 4, scored an influence play objective within the second interval to make it 3-0.
Goalie Logan Thompson, an offseason acquisition, made that lead arise with 28 saves, permitting solely a objective by Emil Heineman. Newcomer Brandon Duhaime put the sport away with an empty-netter, his third objective of the sequence.
They’re going to face the Carolina Hurricanes within the second spherical and can host Video games 1 and a pair of. The Capitals went 2-2 in opposition to the Hurricanes within the common season.
Their dynamic younger high line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky is signed long-term. Defenseman Lane Hutson shall be a rookie of the yr finalist and Ivan Demidov confirmed promise in his brief time within the league.
Defenseman David Savard, a former Stanley Cup winner, has mentioned he’ll retire, and forwards Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak are pending unrestricted free brokers.
Patrik Laine, who was acquired within the offseason, handled a number of accidents, together with within the first spherical. He has one yr left on his contract.
The Winnipeg Jets and Connor Hellebuyck bounced again with a 5-3 victory that gave them a 3-2 lead of their best-of-seven sequence in opposition to the St. Louis Blues.
However Mark Scheifele did not come out for the second interval or the remainder of the sport after he was hit onerous by Brayden Schenn within the first interval.
“That was a repeat of what we have seen earlier than: a participant leaving his ft after which hitting a participant in a really unprotected spot, like nearly blindsiding him,” mentioned Jets coach Scott Arniel, who did not have an replace on Scheifele.
Scheifele had an help on the opening objective by Kyle Connor, who completed with a objective and two assists.
Hellebuyck made 16 saves to win after he had been pulled in his earlier two video games.
“He delivered,” Arniel mentioned.

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