Carolina Hurricanes will look to cut her gap with Washington Capitals when the team meets on Wednesday evening in Raleigh, NC
Hurricanes (45-24-4, 94 points) have won 11 of their last 13 matches to move within 11 points from the Metropolitan Division-leading capitals (48-17-9, 105 points).
Washington recorded a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday evening to move within one point from Winnipeg Jets for first place in total in the NHL position. The hurricanes have been inactive since publishing a 6-4 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Capstal’s superstar Captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 891th career goal Tuesday and moved within four of the Breaking Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record. Ovechkin, who has a team -leading 38 goals in 58 matches this season, shot widely on an empty network late in the match.
Ovechkin and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist, and Charlie Lindgren made 21 rescues for the capitals, which had dropped three in a row (0-2-1).
“It was a big win in general,” Lindgren said. “Of course, the previous three games had not gone our way, so just to get back in the winning column and get the taste of winning again, even though there were only three matches, it still (stunk) and it was time we turned it. … Overall we take two points.”
Washington forward Ryan Leonard, 20, was plus-1 in 14:14 of ice age while playing on a line with Strome and Aliaksei Protas in his NHL debut. Capital cities’ highest prospectus, Leonard signed a three-year start-level agreement on Monday after his Boston College team was eliminated by Denver in the NCAA playoffs.
“Happy for him,” Ovechkin said. “He played solid, physical, checked the puck well and he has a great future.”
The Washington defender Dylan Mcilrath played 10:33 in his first NHL gaming action since December 23 in Boston and entered the lineup to fill in for the absent Matt Roy (personal reasons).
Carolina Seth Jarvis scored two goals in the victory against the islanders. Sebastian Aho had one goal and two assists, Logan Stankoven also scored, and Pyotr Kchetkov made 27 rescues.
“You have to find ways, which way you have to do it,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’amour. “It wasn’t the most beautiful of games, but there were some really nice goals. It was kind of good and the bad mixed there.”
Carolina’s Power-Play device has joined each of the last four games.
“Always nice to score, but yes as a unit you work (together) and you can say that we have done a few from late,” said Aho, whose power play on Sunday was his first then. “We knew the puck a bit and made better games. It’s just (a matter of) having some confidence there, so it’s been good.”
Hurricanes Captain Jordan Staal missed the game with a lower bodily injury.
Lindgren made 24 rescues to help Washington register a 3-1 victory over Carolina on December 20, and former capital Dmitry Orlov had two goals to lead the hurricanes over Washington 4-2 on November 3. The team’s final meeting will be in Washington, DC, April 10.
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