The Carolina Hurricanes came from behind to defeat the Washington Capitals 2-1 in Game 1. The victory came in overtime, with Jaccob Slavin scoring the game-winning goal.
Despite trailing 1-0 midway through the third period, the Hurricanes fought back, with Logan Stankoven also finding the net. Frederik Andersen made his return after missing the final game of the first-round series against the New Jersey Devils due to injury. Coach Rod Brind’Amour praised his team’s effort, saying, “I thought our guys played hard every shift, right from the start of the game.”
Aliaksei Protas gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead early in the second period with his first goal of the playoffs. However, the Capitals struggled to maintain their momentum and were unable to capitalize on opportunities. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged the team’s poor performance, stating, “It wasn’t good. Our entire game was not good. We’ll regroup and get ready for Game 2.”
Washington goaltender Thompson made 31 saves but was unable to hold off Carolina’s offensive push. The series will continue in Washington on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS).
