Sonny Milano scored a hat trick as the Capitals secured a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Hurricanes in a shootout.

Sonny Milano notched his first NHL hat trick, while Alex Ovechkin continued his scoring spree as the Washington Capitals halted the Carolina Hurricanes’ five-game winning streak with a thrilling 7-6 shootout triumph on Friday night, a game that could prove pivotal in their playoff push.

Ovechkin’s goal marked the 846th of his NHL career, while Milano showcased his skill by juggling the puck off his stick and batting it into the net, sparking cheers from the energized crowd. Fans chanted “Ovi! Ovi!” as he notched his sixth goal in four games, inching closer to Wayne Gretzky’s record. Milano’s third goal of the game prompted hats to rain down onto the ice in celebration of his impressive feat.

The Capitals staged a comeback in the third period, with John Carlson scoring early to ignite the rally, followed by goals from Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome. The shootout saw Strome netting the lone goal in the five-round showdown.

The victory marked the Capitals’ fourth win in five games, positioning them just one point behind Detroit for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and two points behind Philadelphia for third place in the Metropolitan Division, with a game in hand.

Goaltender Charlie Lindgren played a pivotal role in relief of starter Darcy Kuemper, who was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots. Lindgren made seven saves in the third period and overtime to secure the win.

Despite the loss, the Hurricanes remain a formidable opponent, having lost only twice since acquiring Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the trade deadline. Sebastian Aho notched a hat trick of his own, reaching the 30-goal mark for the season, while other Hurricanes contributors included Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, and Seth Jarvis.

Carolina goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov struggled, yielding six goals on 25 shots in the second half of a back-to-back series.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, facing his former team just two weeks after being traded, received a warm reception from the Capitals faithful, including a standing ovation and an emotional video tribute.

The Capitals played without injured forwards T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas and were also without winger Tom Wilson, who began serving a six-game suspension for an incident in their previous game against Toronto.