2025-26 Regular Season, Game 54 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes played their first game in four days on Thursday night, battling the Utah Mammoth on Whalers Night. Andrei Svechnikov got the Canes off to a fast start, potting a rebound past Karel Vejmelka. The Canes maintained their lead after 20 minutes, but Utah tied it early in the second, capitalizing on a blown tire. Shayne Gostisbehere, playing in his first game in over two weeks, fell in the neutral zone, allowing the Mammoth to turn it the other way and score when Kailer Yamamoto went post-and-in on Brandon Bussi. Yamamoto potted his second a few minutes later after getting away with a slash. The Mammoth's fourth line was denied on a 2-on-1 before Yamamoto cleaned up the trash. Gostisbehere got is back late in the period by hammering home a shot on the power play, but another turnover led to another Utah goal 19 seconds later. Jalen Chatfield's dump-in attempt was blocked by Barrett Hayton. He turned it up the ice and found JJ Peterka for a one-timer to restore Utah's lead. Their fourth line struck again in the third, capitalizing on yet another Gostisbehere turnover. Yamamoto picked up his third point, and Jack McBain added his second assist by setting up Michael Carcone to extend the lead to two. The Canes looked dead in the water as time wound down, but they were given a thimble of life when Svechnikov scored on the power play with 1:59 left. Then, Gostisbehere tied it 32 seconds later, blasting another shot from the point, seemingly ensuring the Canes would earn a point. With 29.4 seconds left, the captain got them two and the win. Chatfield's shot was redirected by Jordan Martinook, and Jordan Staal was there to tap it home. The Canes went from down two to two points in less than two minutes, stealing a 5-4 win from the Mammoth. Svechnikov and Gostisbehere each finished with two goals and an assist, while Bussi earned his 20th win.

Injury Report

Eric Robinson: He is the only regular not on the ice right now, so things are getting back to normal for the group.

The Opponent: Washington Capitals (26-22-7, 59 Points; 4th in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting: The Canes made their first trip to D.C. on December 11, earning a hard-fought victory in a shootout. Connor McMichael opened the scoring in the second period by burying a breakaway against Brandon Bussi. After the Canes hit three posts, Nikolaj Ehlers was on the spot to put home a rebound and tie the game. Nic Dowd, who dropped the gloves with Jordan Martinook off the draw in the third period, gave the Capitals another lead after Bussi's clearing attempt hit K'Andre Miller and kept the Canes from exiting the zone. With Bussi on the bench late in the game, Logan Stankoven tied it once more, snapping it past Logan Thompson to force overtime. Without a resolution after 65 minutes, Seth Jarvis scored the lone goal in the shootout, earning the Canes the second point in a 3-2 triumph. 

Since We Last Met: When the Canes beat the Capitals in the shootout in December, it tied the teams atop the division at 40 points. The Canes have continued to rise. The Capitals have fallen. They're 8-13-4 in the 25 games since then, pushing them six points back of third in the Metro and eight points out of a playoff spot. It didn't help that they played without Tom Wilson for about two-and-a-half weeks. Wilson is tied for the team lead in goals (22) and points (46) with Alex Ovechkin, who has been on a roll since Christmas. They are two of five players on the roster with at least 40 points, joined by Dylan Strome (44), John Carlson (43), and Jakob Chychrun (41). They're in an interesting spot right now. Logan Thompson exited Washington's game on Tuesday night against the Kraken after getting hit in the mask. Charlie Lindgren started on Thursday in Detroit, and he was in some visible discomfort during the third period and overtime. He stuck it out and earned a win in the shootout, but Lindgren had to be helped off the ice by his teammates after the game. If Thompson isn't good to go tonight, the goaltending duties would likely fall on Clay Stevenson, who backed up Lindgren in Detroit and has just one NHL start, a 5-2 loss in Washington's season finale last season. 

Stories to Watch

1. Ovi's last game against the Canes?

For the leading goal scorer of all time, this could be the last time he faces the Carolina Hurricanes. By virtue of the scheduling model, this is the final meeting of the season between the Canes and the Capitals, meaning, unless they make the playoffs and meet down the line, Alex Ovechkin might never face Carolina again. That's probably good news for Canes fans, who are tired of Ovechkin running rampant all these years.

2. Playing a full 60 minutes

This feels elementary, but the Canes are playing back-to-back games with less than 24 hours separating the starts. The Kings, their opponents tomorrow, also play today, but they start earlier than the Canes. That's why I'm focusing on getting what they must today. They need to go a full 60 minutes. No last-minute comebacks. No relaxing in the middle frame. Hard-nosed hockey for three full periods. Since they're playing a division foe, I'm expecting to see a little life in the group tonight.