Capitals defeat Hurricanes 7-6 after penalties in Washington

Sonny Milano recorded his 1^st hat trick in the National Hockey League, Alex Ovechkin notched again, and the Washington Capitals ended the Carolina Hurricanes’ winning streak at 5 with a 7-6 shootout triumph that could be crucial for their chances to make it to the postseason.

Ovechkin’s goal was the 846^th since his debut in the league, as he notched for the 6^th time in 4 matches to reach 24 this campaign, a series that has upped his chances of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

WEATHERED THE STORM!!!#CapsCanes | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/77dPH4rFTp

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 23, 2024

John Carlson notched at the beginning of the 3^rd quarter, Connor McMichael notched not long after that, and Dylan Strome converted the only penalty in a 5-round shootout.

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Could not have asked for a better time for Stromer to score his FIRST CAREER SHOOTOUT GOAL pic.twitter.com/StA2o7Pp6p

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 23, 2024

That was 4^th victory in 5 matches for Washington, who are now only 1 point behind the Red Wings for the 2^nd and final wild-card spot in the East and 2 behind the Flyers for 3^rd place in the Metropolitan. The Capitals have played 1 fewer match than either of those franchises, and their playoff chances are very high after the great series.

Carolina will welcome the Maple Leafs at the end of the weekend, while Washington will host the Jets on the same day in Winnipeg’s 5^th and final game of the team’s road trip.