Hurricanes blank Caps 5-0 in 1st home playoff game since ’09
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Rookie forward Warren Foegele had two goals and an assist, Petr Mrazek earned his fourth career postseason shutout and the Carolina Hurricanes won their first home playoff game in a decade, routing the Washington Capitals 5-0 on Monday night.
Dougie Hamilton also scored two goals, Brock McGinn had a late goal and an assist and Jaccob Slavin had two assists as the rapid-fire Hurricanes outshot Washington 45-18 to cut the defending Stanley Cup champions' lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Playing with just 10 forwards after losing two to injuries in the first period, Carolina effectively rolled with three lines the rest of the way and fed off an amped-up crowd releasing 10 years of pent-up frustration with every hit.
Mrazek finished with 18 saves in his fifth career playoff victory — the last four have been shutouts.
Braden Holtby stopped 40 shots for Washington, which had its six-game postseason winning streak snapped. The Capitals were shut out in the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The first postseason game in Raleigh since 2009 was a physical, borderline violent affair, headlined by Alex Ovechkin's first career playoff fight, one that sent Hurricanes rookie Andrei Svechnikov's head crashing onto the ice and knocked him out of the game.
MAPLE LEAFS 3, BRUINS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Auston Matthews scored his first goal of the playoffs and set up another as Toronto beat Boston to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
Andreas Johnsson, also with a goal and an assist, and Trevor Moore provided the rest of the offense for the Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen made 34 saves.
David Krejci and Charlie Coyle scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask stopped 31 shots.
Less than an hour before puck drop, the Maple Leafs learned center Nazem Kadri had been suspended for the rest of the series for his vicious cross-check to the head of Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk in the third period of Game 2.
Game 4 is Wednesday night in Toronto.
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice in the first period and set up newly signed rookie Cale Makar's first NHL goal in his debut as Colorado routed Calgary to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Matt Nieto added a short-handed goal, and Mikko Rantanen and Erik Johnson also scored for the wild-card Avalanche, who built a 6-1 lead early in the third period and finished with 56 shots. Philipp Grubauer was credited with 27 saves.
MacKinnon had two power-play goals. But the goal of the night was turned in by Makar, the 20-year-old defenseman who was signed Sunday and jumped into Colorado's postseason lineup two days after his college season ended when Massachusetts lost in the Frozen Four championship game.
Makar, who grew up a Flames fan in Calgary, was the fourth overall draft pick by the Avalanche in 2017.
It didn't take long for him to make a big impact. He scored on his first NHL shot as his parents celebrated in the stands.
Sam Bennett and TJ Brodie scored for the Flames, the top seed in the Western Conference. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Denver.
DALLAS (AP) — Mikael Granlund scored on a wrist shot from just inside the blue line with 8:19 left and Nashville, after blowing a two-goal lead, beat Dallas for a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference series.
Granlund, acquired in a trade with Minnesota in late February, got the puck from Dante Fabbro after Kyle Turris won a faceoff against Stars captain Jamie Benn.
Rocco Grimaldi scored in his second game in a row for the Predators, and Filip Forsberg had a perfectly timed play for a goal. Pekka Rinne made 40 saves.
Tyler Seguin and Mats Zuccarello scored for the Stars.
After three consecutive one-goal games, Game 4 is Wednesday night in Dallas.
