It took 94 shot attempts, 33 of them reaching the net, and over 60 minutes of relentless pressure, but the Carolina Hurricanes finally broke through. Jaccob Slavin’s overtime goal lifted the Hurricanes to a 2-1 victory over the top-seeded Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series on Tuesday night.
Slavin’s winner came just 3:12 into the extra frame, a low shot that slipped through with Seth Jarvis providing the perfect screen in front of Capitals goalie Logan Thompson. The goal capped a performance that embodied Carolina’s identity: overwhelming shot volume, airtight defensive structure, and opportunistic scoring.
“It’s one of those games where you have to see it to believe it,” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We just kept coming. Credit to the guys for sticking with it.”
The Hurricanes dominated territorially, firing 94 shots in total and allowing just 14 on goal — the second-fewest ever allowed in franchise history, dating back to the Hartford Whalers era. Goaltender Frederik Andersen, making his return after missing the end of the first round due to injury, was sharp when needed, allowing only a second-period goal to Aliaksei Protas.
Washington, despite holding the lead for nearly half the game, struggled to generate any sustained offense. The Capitals were pinned in their own zone for much of the night, managing just two power-play opportunities, both of which were killed off by Carolina’s flawless penalty kill — now a perfect 17-for-17 this postseason.
Protas initially gave Washington a 1-0 lead early in the second period, finishing off a rare chance that caught Andersen off guard. That lead held until midway through the third, when a costly miscue flipped the game’s momentum. Protas tried a cross-ice pass in the defensive zone that deflected off teammate Alex Alexeyev’s skate. Jesperi Kotkaniemi pounced, quickly feeding rookie Logan Stankoven, who fired a shot past Thompson to tie it.
Thompson, who made 31 saves on a night where he faced wave after wave of pressure, kept Washington in it as long as he could. But ultimately, the Capitals couldn’t keep the Hurricanes off the board forever.
“They forced us to defend more than we wanted to,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery. “It drained a lot of our energy. We need to find a way to flip that script.”
Carolina’s continued excellence on the penalty kill, combined with their ability to capitalize on a Washington error and their relentless attack in overtime, proved to be the difference in a tight, physical opener.
With Game 2 looming Thursday night back in Washington, the Hurricanes have taken the early edge in the series — and perhaps planted a seed of doubt in a Capitals team not used to playing from behind.
The series shifts to Raleigh, North Carolina, for Games 3 and 4 over the weekend, where the Hurricanes will try to extend their lead in front of a raucous home crowd.
