RALEIGH, N.C. _ Often, hockey games are about moments. Big moments. Game-turning moments.
So it was Friday as the Washington Capitals stopped the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-3, ending a four-game losing streak at PNC Arena behind the goaltending of rookie Ilya Samsonov.
Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Dzingel each scored for the Canes in the third period, Teravainen getting his first goal in 17 games on a power play. Dzingel's power-play goal, with 7:25 left in regulation, then pulled the Canes within 4-3.
The Canes (24-15-2) continued to push in the period but the Canes' Dougie Hamilton was called for roughing with 2:44 left in regulation, with a hit from behind on T.J. Oshie.
Samsonov, 22, won his eighth straight road game this season, improving his record to 11-2-1 as he continues _ for now _ to back up veteran goaltender Braden Holtby.
The game took its first big turn in a 66-second span in the second period. With the Caps leading 1-0 and on the power play, Samsonov denied Hamilton on a short-handed breakaway. Moments later, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored off a John Carlson pass.
Another quick turnaround came in the third. Staal scored off a tip 39 seconds into the period, but Canes center Erik Haula was called for slashing 14 seconds later and the Caps' Lars Eller soon scored on the power play off the rebound of an Alex Ovechkin shot.
In the second period, the Canes' Sebastian Aho first made a poor pass that was picked off, then compounded that error with another, being called for an interference penalty. Then Hamilton was stopped on a backhander by Samsonov. Then Kuznetsov scored easily on the power play.
The Caps (28-9-5), ending a two-game losing streak, dominated the second period after the Canes had the better of the play in the first. Eller and Jakub Vrana scored in the third period, Vrana giving the Caps a 4-1 lead.
The Canes took a 6-4 win over the Caps, with Holtby in net, on Dec. 28. For Carolina, which beat the Caps three times at PNC Arena in their Stanley Cup playoff series last year, it was a fourth straight win over Washington at home.
Samsonov faced 18 shots in the first period but had the answer each time. Canes' Warren Foegele, who had two goals and an assist in the 6-4 win, tested Samsonov in the opening minute but Samsonov made a sharp stop.
The Caps are a league-best 17-5-1 on the road this season.
