When the crowd rose to its feet one last time, serenading the Capitals into the tunnel, it felt like a booming bon voyage. A wild 4-3 victory Friday had ensured they would return to Chinatown for at least one more night, that the Eastern Conference quarterfinals would extend to a Game 5. But first they had business on Long Island.
“It was a fun game to be a part of,” forward Jay Beagle said, “and we just build off that.”
Carrying the emotional win ahead, secured on forward Jason Chimera’s third-period snipe and buttressed by a whopping 82 shot attempts against the New York Islanders, is the next challenge for the Capitals.