"Ol' Uncle Charlie": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 32: Hurricanes at Washington Capitals

It's a battle between two of the division's finest as the Hurricanes are welcomed to the nation's capital by the Washington Capitals. The Canes are riding back-to-back victories to close a four-game homestand on Sunday and Tuesday, beating the Blue Jackets and Islanders by a combined 8-1. Pyotr Kochetkov is coming off a 32-save shutout, looking to silence a lethal Washington club. The Capitals are without Alex Ovechkin, though the captain's return should come shortly after Christmas. With two huge points on the line, this will be a fun one.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

WSH (19:12)- Aliaksei Protas (12) (Andrew Mangiapane (5) & Matt Roy (7))

2nd Period

WSH (16:11)- Jakub Vrana (5) (Hendrix Lapierre (7) & Taylor Raddysh (11))

WSH (19:33)- Connor McMichael (16) (Martin Fehervary (7) & Pierre-Luc Dubois (18))

3rd Period

CAR (10:22)- Seth Jarvis (9) (Sebastian Aho (26) & Brent Burns (7))

My Thoughts

We were treated to a very fun goalie duel for most of the night as Charlie Lindgren and Pyotr Kochetkov did everything they could to see who could make the bigger stop. It culminated in one of the most insane sequences I can remember in a long time. Kochetkov, who had just poke-checked Tom Wilson on a short-handed chance, started by making two unreal stops. First, he got over to stop a one-timer from his butt. Next, he reached back and got his blocker hand on Pierre-Luc Dubois' swing to keep it a 1-0 game. None of what Kochetkov did will be remembered because Lindgren turned in one of the best saves of the season. Moving up the ice in transition, Tyson Jost was robbed as Lindgren made a cartwheel/windmill stop with his glove as Jost tried to roof a shot. It was an unreal stop that should've given us a clue that things weren't going to be easy.

No one moment costs a team a game in the same way that no single play wins a game. However, the moment that I think turned the tide was Jakub Vrana's goal late in the second period. As both goalies traded stops, Vrana scored from the wing on Kochetkov's glove side to double Washington's lead. It was a shot that needed to be stopped with as close as tonight's game was. I wouldn't be surprised if Kochetkov was still thinking about it when Connor McMichael added to Washington's lead in the final minute of the second. It should be noted that two of Washington's three goals came in the final minutes of the first two periods. 

While the bad goal didn't help the Canes' chances, chances were hard to come by for most of the night. The Canes generate the second-most shots in the league, so 25 shots is seen as a slow night. I give credit to the Capitals for their willingness to get in front of the puck, blocking 27 shots. When the Canes did get chances to score, Lindgren was there to keep them out.  I lost count of how many times they whiffed on chances. Carolina's goal was also a bit soft as Seth Jarvis caught Lindgren cheating a little before beating him short-side. Otherwise, the dangerous chances didn't find the back of the net.

I was skeptical about whether the Capitals could get back to the playoffs after barely sneaking in last season. They've made a believer out of me with their start. This team is legit, and they've been doing it without Alex Ovechkin in the lineup for over a month. Spencer Carbery had total buy-in from everyone on the ice, getting contributions from the entire group. If they can keep this up for the next four months, we could be talking about the Capitals as serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.

When We Meet Again- A lot can change in four months and that's how long the Canes and the Capitals will have to wait until they meet again. The Capitals will be in Raleigh on April 2nd before the Canes return to D.C. eight days later. 

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Seth Jarvis

It's hard to single out one player from the Hurricanes tonight because I didn't think anyone played a truly outstanding game, so I'll default to the only goal-scorer. Seth Jarvis tied for the team lead with three shots, managing to be the only player to sneak a shot into the net midway through the third period.

The Road Ahead- On Sunday afternoon, the Hurricanes will be at Madison Square Garden to face the struggling New York Rangers. While they won on Friday night, New York is in the middle of a rough patch that has seen them trade some players. Their final game before Christmas will be in Nashville on Monday.