"Off and Running, Again": 2025 Postseason, Round 2, Game 1: Hurricanes at Washington Capitals

It's time to start again! The Hurricanes began the second round on the road Tuesday night, heading to the nation's capital to face the Washington Capitals. After vanquishing the Devils in five games a week ago, the Canes had plenty of time to heal and return to full strength before facing the division champs. The Capitals also got the job done in five games against the Canadiens, last playing on Wednesday night. With both teams chomping at the bit to get back on the ice, fireworks were expected in Game 1.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

WSH (3:53)- Aliaksei Protas (1) (Brandon Duhaime (1) & John Carlson (2))

3rd Period

CAR (9:42)- Logan Stankoven (3) (Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2))

Overtime

CAR (3:06)- Jaccob Slavin (2) (Jordan Martinook (3) & Dmitry Orlov (3))

My Thoughts

I don't want to hear about the Hurricanes' inability to win a road game ever again. Even if they never win another one, we'll always remember this as being a one-sided masterclass in pressure by the Canes, though the scoreboard tells a different story. The Canes opened the second round by making the Capitals run around and play defense for most of the night. The tone changes immensely if the Canes don't tie the game midway through the third period. For as well as they were playing, it took them creating their own luck after numerous shots off the metal and outstanding play by Logan Thompson. Regardless of the final score, the Canes were the better team and deserved to win Game 1.

The Canes dominated the shot totals all night, throwing 31 shots at Thompson through three periods, compared to Washington's 14. Many of their shots were relatively harmless. Their two goals were a few of the rare exceptions. The tying goal came courtesy of a Washington turnover. Aliaksei Protas, Washington's goal scorer, threw a pass into Alexander Alexeyev's skates. Jesperi Kotkaniemi collected it and found Logan Stankoven. Thompson had no time to react to the turnover, getting caught deep in his crease as Stankoven scored. On the game-winner, Seth Jarvis provided a screen that Thompson couldn't see around. He was a split-second late reacting to Jaccob Slavin's shot. That hesitation was the difference between another save and an overtime winner. 

A surefire way to get the Capitals off their game is to make sure their stars can't impact it. That starts with shutting down Alex Ovechkin. In Game 1, Ovechkin only had one shot. He had one impactful shift in the second period, giving the Capitals a little life. Other than that, he was quiet. Tom Wilson played his usual heavy game but made little impact offensively. The Capitals finished with just 14 shots. Ryan Leonard and Aliaksei Protas were the only forwards with more than one shot. Leonard had a beautiful breakaway chance in the third period. He ran out of room and forced his backhand wide, keeping the game tied. 

They say that a series isn't a series until the road team wins a game. With their win tonight, the Hurricanes have, momentarily, taken Washington's home ice advantage away. Don't expect Game 2 to be the same. Frederik Andersen won't be a bystander for a second straight game. To Andersen's credit, he made a few big stops with the game still 1-0 to prevent the deficit from getting worse. We might see a lineup change from the Hurricanes after Mark Jankowski missed the third period with an injury. Thursday's game will likely feature a rejuvenated Capitals team. The question will be whether the Hurricanes can match Washington's desperation. Coming home with a 2-0 series lead and two games in front of the home fans would be a big boost.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Jaccob Slavin

This award belongs to the defensive unit as a whole, but Jaccob Slavin will be the representative after scoring the game winner in overtime. The list of defensemen who've scored an overtime goal in franchise history is a small one. Slavin joins an esteemed group with Niclas Wallin, Tim Gleason, and Ian Cole. Slavin was part of a six-man group that made life miserable for the Capitals. He finished with a team-high five shots, but it's the last one that everyone will remember.