Hurricanes blank Caps 5-0 in 1st home playoff game since ’09

Carolina Hurricanes’ Warren Foegele (13) scores against Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) while Capitals’ Lars Eller (20) defends during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 15, 2019. Gerry Broome AP Photo

RALEIGH, N.C.

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.