Caps rolling right along

It might be time for hockey fans in Montreal and Pittsburgh to start rooting for Boston, Philadelphia and Ottawa. The way the Washington Capitals are playing, the Canadiens and Penguins might be better off if the Caps don’t crash the postseason party.

Buoyed by a pair of power-play goals and another stellar effort from goaltender Cristobal Huet, Washington throttled division-leading Carolina 4-1 in front of a raucous sellout crowd last night at Verizon Center for its fifth straight win — the team’s first streak of that length in seven years — and ninth in 10 games.

“I think this announces that we’re here,” forward Brooks Laich said. “I think we’re going to be a tough team if we get into the playoffs. I don’t think teams are really going to want to face us. I think if we get in, we’re going to make some noise and ripple some waves.”

With the victory, the Caps still can win the Southeast Division and earn home ice advantage in the first round. They have pulled even with the Hurricanes at 90 points with two games to play. Both teams finish against Tampa Bay and Florida in that order. The Hurricanes play them tonight and Friday, and the Caps get them tomorrow and Saturday.

Washington must earn at least one more point than Carolina because the Hurricanes will own the tiebreaker for the division title and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Matt Cooke put the Caps in front with five minutes remaining in the first period. Carolina goaltender Cam Ward stopped Mike Green’s slap shot from the right point, but Cooke was in front and kicked the rebound to his stick before sliding it along the ice just past the out stretched goaltender for his 10th of the season.

“That was a big game for us,” Cooke said. “That was a statement game for us. We’ve been coming for a long time, but the road doesn’t stop with this one.”

Laich made it a two-goal advantage with 58.3 seconds left in the period. Tomas Fleischmann skated toward the right corner with the puck, pulled up near the goal line and waited to feed the cutting Laich, who caught Ward leaning to his right and was able to sneak a backhanded shot just inside the near post for his 21st goal.

Entering the night, the Hurricanes had 28 more power-play opportunities than any other team in the NHL, but the Caps enjoyed twice as many extra-man chances (eight) as Carolina.

“When you work hard, you are going to create penalties,” Green said. “Our forwards did a good job of that tonight.”

Scott Walker got the Hurricanes on the board 2:38 into the second period. Huet thought he had the puck covered up after a shot from defenseman Bret Hedican, but it peeked out from under his pads behind him, and Walker pounced on it, following it into the cage thanks to a shove by Milan Jurcina.

There was a wild sequence in the second period, and it eventually led to Washington’s third goal. Carolina’s Trevor Letowski was assessed a double minor for high-sticking at 12:31.

Thirty-two seconds later, Huet robbed Walker on a short-handed chance, and a melee ensued because Alex Ovechkin sent Eric Staal into the boards after the whistle. Less than a minute after the save, Alexander Semin put the Caps back up by two goals.

Semin fired a shot toward a vacant net, but it hit Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley in the helmet. A few seconds later, Mike Green’s first try was blocked, and his second went wide of the cage, but Semin was there just left of the goal to knock the puck down and then flip it past the sprawling Ward for his 25th of the year.

Ovechkin added his 63rd — a rocket from the left faceoff circle with 3:36 left in the final period that ended any doubt and touched off boisterous chants of “M-V-P!” Ovechkin did his part by egging on the crowd when he appeared on the scoreboard after the goal.

“I wanted to hear more,” Ovechkin said with a smile. “The crowd was unbelievable. It is unbelievable feeling when the crowd supports you.”

The Caps were forced to play with five defensemen for the last 44 minutes. Shaone Morrisonn left with an upper body injury at 15:36 of the opening period and did not return after Carolina’s Jeff Hamilton hit him in the corner to the left of Huet.

Last night at Verizon Center

QUOTABLE

“I thought it was the loudest I’ve ever heard a building. Granted the buildings I’ve been in don’t hold as many people, but this was the loudest thing I’ve been in.”

— Caps coach Bruce Boudreau

BY THE NUMBERS

53 Days the Caps spent in 15th place in the Eastern Conference this season.

14 Days the Carolina Hurricanes spent outside of first place in the Southeast Division this season.

430 Shots on goal for Alex Ovechkin before last night’s game — he broke his previous franchise record of 425 from 2005-06 against Florida on March 29.