Capitals attain second spherical of NHL playoffs with Sport 5 win in opposition to Canadiens – USA At this time

A 12 months 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 Sport 5.
Credit score an offseason retool that allowed Washington to leap from eighth within the Japanese 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 mixture of the leftovers from that group 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 somewhat 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 aim within the second interval to make it 3-0.
Goalie Logan Thompson, an offseason acquisition, made that lead rise up with 28 saves, permitting solely a aim by Emil Heineman. Newcomer Brandon Duhaime put the sport away with an empty-netter, his third aim of the sequence.
They will face the Carolina Hurricanes within the second spherical and can host Video games 1 and a couple of. The Capitals went 2-2 in opposition to the Hurricanes within the common season.
Their dynamic younger prime line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky is signed long-term. Defenseman Lane Hutson might be a rookie of the 12 months finalist and Ivan Demidov confirmed promise in his brief time within the league.
Defenseman David Savard, a former Stanley Cup winner, has stated 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 12 months 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 laborious 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,” stated Jets coach Scott Arniel, who did not have an replace on Scheifele.
Scheifele had an help on the opening aim by Kyle Connor, who completed with a aim and two assists.
Hellebuyck made 16 saves to win after he had been pulled in his earlier two video games.
“He delivered,” Arniel stated.

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