It is the first time the Panthers have led any playoff series in 10 seasons. The last time was being ahead 3-2 against the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Carter Verhaeghe set a Florida franchise record with a five-point playoff game. He leads the Panthers in the 2021-22 postseason with 10 points. It ties the club record held by Jonathan Huberdeau, who composed 10 points in the playoff series last year against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Washington scored on the power play at 7:09 of the first period. Evgeny Kuznetsov made a pass from the right wing to the top of the zone. John Carlson blasted a slap shot that was deflected in by T.J. Oshie in the low slot.
In the second period, the Capitals increased their lead to 2-0 at the 2:13. After a mad scramble at the top of the crease, Justin Schultz put in a forehand shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his first playoff goal.
It became 3-0 for the Caps just over a minute later at the 3:38 mark. Evgeny Kuznetsov raced into the Panthers zone on the left side on a 2-on-1 breakaway. He slid a cross-ice pass to his right and Oshie scored on a snap shot from the right circle for his second goal of the contest and fifth goal of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was Kuznetsov's second assist of the game on that play.
Florida broke the shutout and got on the scoreboard at 6:50. Aleksander Barkov took a shot from above the left circle that hit the back wall. It bounced to the right of the crease and Carter Verhaeghe tapped it in for his fourth tally of the series.
The Panthers pulled to 3-2 with 7:33 left in the second. Verhaeghe sent a lead pass from the Captials blue line to the middle. Patric Hornqvist came in on a breakaway through the slot area and then snapped a shot from the low slot by Ilya Samsonov for his first tally in the postseason.
The Cats tied up the contest 3-3 with 5:16 remaining in the period. Verhaeghe attempted a wraparound shot from the right of the crease and Sam Reinhart poked the loose puck in from the blue paint for his second goal of the series.
Florida took their first lead 4-3 at 3:04 of the third period. Barkov connected a lead pass from the neutral zone. Verhaeghe released a wrist shot from the right circle for his second goal of the game and fifth goal of the first-round series.
The Panthers scored their fifth straight goal with 4:05 left in the frame to make it 5-3. Verhaeghe made an angle pass through the slot and Claude Giroux ripped a forehand shot from the low right circle for his second playoff goal. Verhaeghe collected his fifth point of the contest with the assist.
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