Carolina close to eliminating top-seeded Boston

Eric Staal scored 2 goals to break the club career playoff scoring record, and host Carolina pushed the top-seeded Boston Bruins to the brink of elimination, pulling away late for a 4-1 victory Friday night.

The Hurricanes lead the Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-1. Game 5 is Sunday night in Boston.

Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal at 2:52 of the third and assisted on the 2 goals that followed, and Sergei Samsonov added a goal for the Hurricanes.

Marc Savard scored for the Bruins, who have lost three straight since sweeping Montreal in the first round and winning the opener against Carolina.

If history is any guide, the Hurricanes can start making travel plans for either Pittsburgh or Washington.

They've taken 3-1 series leads twice before in franchise history and have advanced both times. Meanwhile, the Bruins haven't won any of the 21 series in which they've faced such a deficit.

Penguins 5, Capitals 3: Host Pittsburgh shook off an opening-minute Washington goal, scored three times in less than 12 minutes in the first period against a suddenly vulnerable Simeon Varlamov and beat the Capitals to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games each.