NHL playoff Game 1 results: Hurricanes beat Capitals in OT

USA Today

07-05-2025

NHL playoff Game 1 results: Hurricanes beat Capitals in OT
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With a dominant roster and playoff experience, the Panthers are poised to make a strong run at back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
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Jacob Slavin's goal 3:06 into overtime gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 victory Tuesday over the host Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoff second-round matchup.
The defenseman's first overtime playoff goal came on the Hurricanes' 94th shot attempt of the game (their 33rd on net). Logan Stankoven scored his third goal of the postseason and Jesperi Kotkaniemi set it up. Jordan Martinook and Dmitry Orlov assisted on the game-winner.
Frederik Andersen made 13 saves in his first action since leaving in the second period of Game 4 of Carolina's first-round series with the New Jersey Devils on April 27.
Aliaksei Protas scored his first career playoff goal for the Capitals, with Brandon Duhaime and John Carlson earning assists. Thompson, meanwhile, stopped 31 shots while under pressure all night.
Carolina set the tone in the first period, outshooting the Capitals 12-5. None went past Thompson, though, as just three of those came from near the net. Washington also blocked 15 shot attempts in the period and had 32 for the game.
Despite that control, it was the Capitals who struck first 3:52 into the second. Carlson cleared the puck from the Carolina attack zone and Duhaime was able to spring Protas, who skated along the boards and beat the drawn-out netminder on a wrist shot from the right circle.
Protas scored in just his second game back after recovering from a deep cut he suffered to his left foot in an April 4 game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The goal did not change the style of play as the Hurricanes continued to pepper shot attempts. They had 70 through the first two periods. However, it took a turnover near the Capitals' net midway through the third period that allowed the Hurricanes to even the score.
Kotkaniemi got the puck after Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev lost it in the left faceoff circle. The Finnish forward found Stankoven in the slot, and the 22-year-old, acquired in the Mikko Rantanen trade two months ago, capitalized on the Capitals' mistake with 10:18 left in regulation.
Carolina won despite losing center Mark Jankowski, who sustained an undisclosed injury.
Jankowski, appearing in his third game of this year's playoffs, was last on the ice with 4:42 remaining in the second period.