RALEIGH, N.C. _ Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was the first to say it Friday about the Carolina Hurricanes.
"They always play us tough in this building," he said.
Caps coach Todd Reirden said the same, noting, "They're a dangerous team, especially here at home."
The Canes were a dangerous team at times Friday at PNC Arena, and especially Sebastian Aho, who had two goals and two assists. But so were the Caps, and especially Alexander Ovechkin, who had a hat trick.
It took a shootout to decide it, and Jakub Vrana won it for the Caps 6-5 in the fifth round, beating Scott Darling.
Dougie Hamilton scored in the fourth round of the shootout, but Nicklas Backstrom matched it, allowing Vrana a chance to win it for the Caps (19-9-3), who have won four straight and 11 of 13.
Scoring a hat trick for the second-straight game, Ovechkin helped the defending Stanley Cup champions wipe out a three-goal deficit in regulation and take a 5-4 lead.
Ovechkin had a three-goal game against Detroit on Tuesday, his 21st career hat trick. Another three Friday and that's 28 for the season for the Caps.
Ovechkin's third goal, on a third-period power play, pushed the Caps ahead 5-4. But Justin Williams tied it 5-5 for the Canes with 6:12 left in regulation after Caps goalie Braden Holtby misplayed the puck behind the net and allowed Williams an easy one.
The Canes (13-13-5) took a 4-1 lead as Aho had a shorthanded goal, power-play goal, assist and power-play assist. Jordan Martinook got the Canes started with a goal 43 seconds into the game. Aho got involved and Teuvo Teravainen whipped in a power-play shot for a 4-1 lead in the second.
But the Caps have firepower up and down the lineup, so it didn't take them long to get the game back to even.
Wilson, the rambunctious forward returning from a concussion, banged in a rebound. Ovechkin beat goalie Scott Darling with a shot from the left circle, and Travis Boyd tipped the puck past Darling.
That was three goals in 5:42, and the third and fourth goals scored in 53 seconds.
Ovechkin's second goal had Canes fans _ and coach Rod Brind'Amour _ howling. Canes defenseman Hamilton was in front of Ovechkin, only to be wiped out by the Caps' Jonas Siegenthaler like an offensive lineman clearing the way to the end zone.
Ovechkin skated in unencumbered and scored as Canes fans booed.
Ovechkin's first goal, on a bomb of a shot from the left circle, tied the score 1-1 in the first. It extended his point streak to 13 games, matching the longest of his career.
Aho's shorthanded goal was the Canes' second of the season. It came after Teravainen, who finished with two assists, tipped the puck away and then pushed it ahead to Aho, who beat Holtby with a backhander on the breakaway.
Darling turned away Wilson's bid for a shorthanded goal four minutes into the third to keep it a 4-4 game. At 5-5, Holtby made a super stop to deny Aho a hat trick.
