Jacob Slavin’s goal 3:06 into overtime gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 victory over the host Washington Capitals on Tuesday in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round matchup.
“Any time you can get a win in a series, whether it’s home or on the road, it’s always a boost of confidence,” Slavin said. “And to especially get that first one, and it being on the road, is huge for us and our momentum going forward.”
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 vs. 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, the Capitals 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 sustained to his left foot in an April 4 game vs. 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 for the Hurricanes to even the score.
“I don’t think it’s one glaring thing, but they were pressuring us all over the ice. We’ve got to find a way to break it,” said Capitals forward Dylan Strome, who had one shot on goal in 17:42 of ice time. “I feel like we didn’t play our style of hockey tonight. We kind of let them dictate the game.”
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 to 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.
–Field Level Media
