jordan staal

The Carolina Hurricanes stormed back to stun the Washington Capitals, 4-3, in Game 7 on Wednesday night to eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Jordan Staal scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist in the third period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals, 5-2, on Monday night to force Game 7 in their first-round playoff series.

The Capitals look as if they've found the swagger that led them to winning the Stanley Cup last year and can eliminate the Hurricanes in Game 6 on Monday night.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin injured Carolina Hurricanes rookie Andrei Svechnikov with a punch to the face during a fight in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Monday night. 

Capitals vs. Hurricanes, Game 2

The pre-Super Bowl showdown between the Capitals and the Penguins was significantly lacking sizzle with Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out of the lineup. But that doesn't mean the Capitals' 3-0 win on Sunday wasn't impressive.