Canes Head Back To D.C. Aiming To Close Out Round 2

RALEIGH, N.C. - After keeping their pristine postseason record on home ice intact, the Carolina Hurricanes have flown north on what they hope was their second-to-last plane ride of the series.

Desiring a happy, late Thursday night flight home, the Canes took off from RDU with a 3-1 series lead packed in their bags, returning to Capital One Arena having already won in the Washington Capitals' building.

Although Game 1 was the first of a series-opening split between the two sides, if you ask Rod Brind'Amour, he thinks that the two games the team put together in our nation's capital were actually better than their Game 3 and Game 4 victories at Lenovo Center.

“If I’m honest, I thought our first two games were better than some of these games (at home). Just the way the chances we gave up, just a little too much here, for me," the head coach said, before turning to the positive side of things. "Obviously, at this time of year, it’s about results. I like where we’re at, that’s for sure.”

Despite the feeling that they may not be 100% satisfied with how they've played in the latest two wins, the group would still rather be where they are in the series' current standing, as opposed to being on the other side of the coin.

“It’s nice to be on this side of it. Just the opportunity to end it is huge," Seth Jarvis said. "You don’t want to give them any life, give them any hope, and hopefully we’ll finish the job over there.”

At Practice...

Although Brind'Amour said on Tuesday that he expects him to be fine for tomorrow's Game 5, Jalen Chatfield (undisclosed injury) was held off the ice today. "Tweaking something" at the end of Monday night's win, Alexander Nikishin instead worked alongside Dmitry Orlov for the skate.

Previously working on the fourth defensive pair with Scott Morrow, Ty Smith was elevated from the "Black Aces" group to fill Nikishin's usual role.

Brind'Amour doubled down post-practice, though, saying that Chatfield will be good to go and Nikishin will not play.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Mark Jankowski (undisclosed injury), who has been out since Game 1, was on the ice once again, but appears to still be on the outside looking in. Jack Roslovic, who was called upon to step in for Jankowski, has produced a goal and an assist in the past two games.

Spencer Martin served as the third goalie, lightening the load for Frederik Andersen, who has allowed one goal or fewer in five of eight playoff games.

Contributions Up & Down The Lineup...

A key ingredient to the Canes' success this far in this series has been their production from several different faces. Falling in line with their by-committee approach, their 12 goals in four games have come from 10 different skaters.

“That’s how we’ve had to get it done all year, and that’s what’s expected," Brind'Amour said after Monday's win. "Everyone’s expected to chip in, and that’s obviously what’s happening.”

Shayne Gostisbehere is the only skater to beat Logan Thompson twice, while Andrei Svechnikov, the only other Hurricane with multiple goals, earned one of his in empty net fashion.

Whether it's a goal, a momentum-changing hit, or a game-saving stop, the team making a seventh consecutive playoff appearance knows that it's going to take everyone to get it done.

“It’s what we try to do. It’s playoff hockey. You just try to leave everything out there and sacrifice for your teammates," the former Capital, Orlov, said. "It’s how you win. Sometimes you have a sh*tty game, but you put your faith in (trying) to stop the puck and make a big hit, or take a hit to make a play. All of the small things make a big difference in the playoffs. It’s what you try to do and we need to keep doing that.”

A Chance To End It...

While (mostly) all is well in the world of the Canes right now, they also understand that they'll be facing a hungry Washington team that will come out playing like their backs are against the wall.

“They’re desperate. I think everyone knows the situation, so we just have to match their desperation and up it," Jarvis said of the matchup. "[We have to] make sure we come ready to go, because they’re going to give us their best, and we just have to be prepared for it.”

Much like Carolina preached in their series against New Jersey, the last win is always the hardest one.

“It’s never easy when you have to close a series. It’s always the hardest game in the series. It’s going to be a lot of emotion. A lot of scrums," the former Capital, Orlov, offered. "They’ve battled for their lives and battled for the season. At the same point, we have to be ready. We cannot just come easy. It’s not going to be easy, so we just have to be even more focused than them…”

The Canes also see it as an opportunity to refine some elements of their game and don't want to give Washington any hope. 8-0 all-time in series' that they have a 3-1 lead in, a victory tomorrow night would secure a third trip to the Eastern Conference Final in the last seven years.

“We still have some things in our game that we can get better at," Taylor Hall shared. "The series isn’t over until it’s over. An elimination game is always the hardest one to win, and they’re going to probably play their best game of the series in Game 5, so we’ll be ready.”