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The Washington Capitals wrapped up their first-round series in commanding fashion Wednesday night, eliminating the Montreal Canadiens with a 4-1 victory in Game 5 at Capital One Arena.
Tom Wilson had a standout performance with a goal and an assist, while Alex Ovechkin made history yet again, scoring a power-play goal to tie Mario Lemieux for 12th on the NHL’s all-time playoff goals list (76 goals).
The Capitals now prepare to take on the Carolina Hurricanes, who dispatched the New Jersey Devils in five games. For betting odds and real-time updates, visit our NHL scores and odds hub.
Other Key Contributors:
- Jakob Chychrun and Brandon Duhaime each added a goal.
- Dylan Strome dished out two assists.
- Logan Thompson made 28 saves between the pipes.
On the other side, Emil Heineman tallied the lone goal for Montreal, and goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 24 shots.
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Panthers Dominate Lightning to Close Out First Round
The Florida Panthers punched their ticket to the second round with a high-powered 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, taking the series 4-1 and sweeping all three games at Amalie Arena.
Eetu Luostarinen was the night’s star, posting a goal and three assists, while Anton Lundell contributed a goal and two assists of his own. Other Panthers on the scoresheet included:
- Sam Reinhart (1 G, 1 A)
- Carter Verhaeghe
- Aleksander Barkov
- Sam Bennett
Brad Marchand added two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 26 shots to seal the series.
Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves, Nick Paul, and Jake Guentzel managed to find the back of the net, with Victor Hedman collecting two assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves.
The Panthers now await the winner of the Maple Leafs vs Senators series. In the meantime, explore our top NHL playoff picks or compare betting packages to gain an edge heading into the semifinals.
Jets Take Game 5, Move Within One Win of Advancing
The Winnipeg Jets came alive at home Wednesday, taking down the St. Louis Blues 5-3 in a critical Game 5 to grab a 3-2 series lead.
Kyle Connor was sensational, notching a goal and two assists. Mason Appleton added three helpers, while Vladislav Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter each contributed a goal and an assist.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 16 shots as Winnipeg bounced back from two heavy road losses in Games 3 and 4.
The Blues saw a spirited effort from Nathan Walker, who scored twice, and Jimmy Snuggerud, who added one. Jordan Binnington had 21 saves but was unable to slow the Jets’ offensive burst.
Game 6 is set for Friday in St. Louis, and you can track all odds shifts and trends on our NHL live lines page.
For more insights, check out picks from our top-performing handicappers or view today’s computer-generated plays.
NHL Sports Hub Series Snapshot
| Matchup | Result | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Capitals vs Canadiens | Capitals win 4-1 | Face Hurricanes in Eastern Semis |
| Panthers vs Lightning | Panthers win 4-1 | Await Maple Leafs/Senators winner |
| Jets vs Blues | Jets lead 3-2 | Game 6 Friday in St. Louis |
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