The Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes play Game 7 of the first round at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, SN360, TVAS, NBCSWA, FS-CR). It's the 12th Game 7 for Washington since the start of the 2008 playoffs, the most among all NHL teams in that span. The Hurricanes will play their first deciding game since winning Game 7s in consecutive series of the 2009 postseason en route to the Eastern Conference Final.
Capitals forward Carl Hagelin is 8-1 in nine Game 7s, tied for the most wins in NHL history with Brad Richards (8-0), Ray Bourque (8-1) and Glenn Anderson (8-4). The Hurricanes counter with forward Justin Williams, the leading Game 7 scorer with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in eight games. Carolina's captain will play his first Game 7 with the Hurricanes in 13 years. He had three points (one goal, two assists) in a 4-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Final and scored in Carolina's Stanley Cup-clinching 3-1 victory against the Oilers.