Carolina lost the first two games of the best-of-7 series at Washington but pushed back with a 5-0 win in Game 3, the Hurricanes' first home game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2009.
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"In the playoffs, you kind of make adjustments and there's pushbacks from both teams depending on how the last game or even the last period went, and they won the Game 3 pushback," Capitals forward T.J. Oshie said Wednesday. "Game 4, the momentum is on their side. We've got to find a way to get the momentum back on our side, play physical, play strong, play for each other, block shots. Do all the little things right."
That formula worked well for the Capitals on their way to winning the Stanley Cup last season, and their experience gives them confidence they can do it again.
Even after being outshot 45-18 and looking overwhelmed at times in Game 3, Washington can take control of the series with a win in Game 4 and return home with a chance to advance to the second round by winning Game 5 on Saturday. But the Capitals will have to do a better job of handling Carolina's forecheck and neutralizing the crowd, which fueled the Hurricanes for much of Game 3.
The best way to quiet the crowd would be to score an early goal. The team that scored first has won each of the first three games.
"We knew they were going to make a push," Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin said. "It's a situation when the fans are going to be cheering for you, it's going to be loud and it's good. I think both teams like it, and it was a fun game. Obviously, we lost [Game 3], but with that loss you can win. We're going to try tomorrow to get it in our hands and play much better."