Andrei Svechnikov’s goal with 1:59 remaining lifted the visiting Carolina Hurricanes to a series-clinching 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday in Game 5 of their best-of-seven second-round series.
Svechnikov’s eighth tally of the postseason was assisted by Sean Walker and Seth Jarvis, who added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Jordan Staal scored his first goal of the postseason while Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots for the Hurricanes, who await the winner of the Florida-Toronto series. The Panthers can close it out Friday in Game 6.
Coming off a 48-point regular season (20 goals, 28 assists in 72 games) — his lowest point total in a non-COVID season since his rookie campaign of 2018-19 — Svechnikov has come alive at the right time with a goal in each of Carolina’s last three games.
“You know, all year, we’ve been kind of waiting for that Andrei, and we got through the regular season,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You watch him every night. Tonight, that goal is not even a great goal, but he had a lot of other ones off the bars and posts. I think that one, he deserved it, just from his play all series. Any team that’s playing now, you’ve got to have your top guys going, or you’re not still here.”
Washington’s lone goal came from Anthony Beauvillier, who scored for the first time since the Capitals’ Stanley Cup playoff opener on April 21. Logan Thompson made 18 saves.
The Hurricanes advanced to their second Eastern Conference finals in three seasons by converting two sharp-angle shots. Svechnikov scored the game-winner from near the goal line along the dashers on a give-and-go from Walker.
Staal put Carolina up midway through the first period. His shot from below the faceoff dot beat Thompson on the far side at the 9:38 mark.
Beauvillier, promoted to the Capitals’ top line for Game 5, gave Washington its only first-period goal of the series four minutes later to tie the game. He took advantage of a bad bounce on Jaccob Slavin’s pass behind the goal that caromed in front of the net with 6:19 remaining.
Both teams had opportunities leading up to Svechnikov’s game-winner. An out-of-position Thompson made a diving save on Logan Stankhoven’s point-blank shot in the final minute of the first period — the goalie’s stick deflecting the puck away from an open net.
Matt Roy appeared to give Washington the lead less than three minutes into the second period, but Carolina won a replay challenge showing Connor McMichael was barely offside moments earlier. Then, just before the second-period horn, Jarvis’ shot beat Thompson, but the puck bounced off the crossbar.
Carolina advances to its sixth conference final since relocating from Hartford, Conn., in 1997.
“Give credit to their goalie,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said after Washington scored only seven goals against Andersen in the series. “Maybe we could have been better at generating a little bit more. It was just a really tough series to score.
“Watching some other games, it seems like there’s a little more open space. The goals in this series were going to be, ‘Throw it at the net and dig and try and find a bit of a greasy one.’ That’s their game. They’re really good at it.”
–Field Level Media
