2024-25 Regular Season, Game 32 Preview: Hurricanes at Washington Capitals

The Carolina Hurricanes completed their four-game homestand by blanking the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. Pyotr Kochetkov put together his best start of the season in the victory, stopping all 32 shots he faced to post his first shutout. The Canes' offense was clicking early, getting a power-play goal from Andrei Svechnikov and another big goal from Jordan Martinook three minutes later. The Islanders held the Canes without a shot for the remainder of the period, but Kochetkov was sharp to maintain the 2-0 lead. Midway through the second period, Tyson Jost stepped up to the plate and batted a rebound out of mid-air to make it 3-0 and seemingly deflate the Islanders' hopes. For good measure, Sebastian Aho finished a 2-on-1 pass from Eric Robinson with 15.1 seconds left in the middle frame to send the Canes into the intermission with a four-goal lead. The Canes would maintain their lead through the third period, helping Kochetkov secure the shutout and send the Caniacs home happy in the final home game before Christmas.

The Opponent: Washington Capitals (21-8-2, 44 Points, 2nd in the Metropolitan Division)
Last Meeting: The Capitals were in Raleigh to complete a back-to-back on November 3rd. Former Capital Dmitry Orlov opened the scoring with less than six minutes to go in the first period. The Canes found themselves in trouble after taking two penalties on the same play. Alex Ovechkin made them pay, scorching a one-timer past Pyotr Kochetkov to tie it with less than a minute left. Washington kept pressing in the final minute, getting the go-ahead goal from Brandon Duhaime with less than 12 seconds remaining. The Canes came out hot in the second period, taking the lead after Martin Necas tied it and Orlov gave them the lead in the first six minutes. The 3-2 lead remained until Andrei Svechnikov scored into the empty net to secure a 4-2 victory. Necas finished the game with three points, while Charlie Lindgren made 41 stops in the loss for Washington.

Since We Last Met: Their hot start clearly wasn't a fluke. The Washington Capitals have maintained their spot at or near the top of the division in the month and a half since playing the Hurricanes, going 13-5-2 with a +22 goal differential. The most impressive part is that they've done it without Alex Ovechkin in the lineup for the last month. Ovechkin left their game in mid-November against Utah with a fibula fracture, but he has started to get some skating in as his return looms. The Capitals haven't missed a beat without their captain, going 8-4-1 in his absence. Ovechkin still remains tied for the team lead in goals (15) with Connor McMichael, while Dylan Strome continues to get the job done with 27 assists and 38 points. Washington has five players with 10+ goals and eight with 20+ points, proving to be one of the best offenses in the league without their best weapon. The defense hasn't been bad either. Logan Thompson has been the better of the goalie tandem as he and Charlie Lindgren split starts. Thompson is 12-2-2 with a 2.48 GAA. The Capitals have emerged as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. 

Stories of the Night
1. Heading into the Holidays
The final three games before Christmas for the Hurricanes are on the road against three good opponents. Washington has been the class of the division for most of the season, while New York and Nashville are both solid clubs underperforming this season. This game against the Capitals is going to be the tone-setter for the weekend. A good start to the road trip could do wonders before traveling to the historically daunting Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon. 

2. No Ovechkin=No Problem?
Spencer Carbery confirmed on Thursday that Alex Ovechkin still isn't ready to go, though he's incredibly close. Honestly, it won't matter with how the Capitals have been playing recently. Their scoring might be down a touch since he exited the lineup, but they're still the second-best offense in goals. It also helps that their defense has been so stellar. The Capitals rarely allow more than two or three goals per game, allowing their offense to take over games and outscore their opponents.

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