Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) celebrates his goal in the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) looks for the puck against Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) and right wing Jackson Blake (53) in the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (26) takes a shot in the second period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) skates with the puck against Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, right, in the second period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Slavin scores in OT, Hurricanes clip Capitals 2-1 in second-round playoff opener
WASHINGTON (AP) — Very few people in the arena knew the puck was in the net, including Jaccob Slavin, who shot it through traffic. Goaltender Logan Thompson figured it out when he saw the red light on behind him.
Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) celebrates his goal in the third period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Washington Capitals Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Very few people in the arena knew the puck was in the net, including Jaccob Slavin, who shot it through traffic. Goaltender Logan Thompson figured it out when he saw the red light on behind him.
“I didn’t know it went in until I saw Jordan Staal, Staalsy, coming with his arms up yelling at me,” Slavin said.
Seeing it to believe it, Slavin’s overtime goal gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 victory over the host Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their second-round NHL playoff series on Tuesday night. The winner came on their 94th shot attempt and 33rd that got on net, showing the shot volume offence that has gotten them to this point.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
“We were all over it, and we knew we had to just throw everything at the net,” Slavin said. “That mentality paid off there at the end.”
Carolina allowed Washington to get just 14 shots on goal, the second-fewest surrendered in Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes history. Frederik Andersen gave up just an early second-period goal to Aliaksei Protas in his return from missing the end of the first round
“Just trying to take what comes my way and be in that moment all the time and just stay with it,” Andersen said. “You don’t know when that next big save’s going to happen.”
Thompson made 31 of them for the Capitals, who spent large swaths of time defending in their own end. That sucked a lot of the energy out of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which is accustomed to putting on the pressure rather than absorbing it.
“We didn’t play our style of hockey,” Washington’s Dylan Strome said. “We let them dictate.”
The Capitals led from Protas’ goal until nearly the midway point of the third, when an errant pass from Protas banked off teammate Alex Alexeyev’s right skate and to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who fed Logan Stankoven to tie it.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
“I just thought I’d rip it,” Stankoven said. “It was nice to see it go in.”
Carolina remains the only team perfect on the penalty kill this post-season, keeping Washington’s power play off the board twice to improve to 17 for 17. That, along with Kotkaniemi and Stankoven taking advantage of a mistake and Slavin scoring with Seth Jarvis screening Thompson was the difference.
“We got some traffic,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Obviously, it wasn’t the greatest of goals, but they all count.”
UP NEXT
Game 2 is Thursday night in Washington before the series shifts to Raleigh, N.C., for Games 3 and 4.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation