Capitals Bounce Back with 3-1 Win Over Hurricanes in Game 2 to Even Series
Connor McMichael and John Carlson each scored, Logan Thompson stopped 26 shots, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Thursday night to even their second-round playoff series at one game apiece.
After a sluggish opening period, the Capitals—who topped the Eastern Conference in the regular season—found their rhythm, asserting their preferred style of play and avoiding extended time in their defensive zone. This performance was a stark contrast to Game 1, where they were dominated and lost in overtime.
On Thursday, Washington weathered Carolina’s early puck control and capitalized on a few key moments and penalties. McMichael opened the scoring just over two minutes into the second period, taking advantage of a miscue when Sean Walker’s dump-in struck Shayne Gostisbehere in the face, delaying his recovery. Carlson extended the lead early in the third with a power-play goal, finishing off a perfect cross-ice feed from Tom Wilson, leaving goalie Frederik Andersen little chance.
Wilson capped off his impactful night with an empty-net goal and also made a crucial shot block to preserve the lead.
In goal, Thompson continued his standout playoff performance—fans chanted “LT! LT!” after nearly every save, reminiscent of his dominant showing against Montreal in the first round.
Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal for Carolina with just over 10 minutes left, and Andersen made 18 saves, but the Hurricanes couldn’t mount a full comeback. Notably, Carlson’s goal ended Carolina’s perfect 17-for-17 penalty-kill streak in the postseason.
Game 3 is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT on Saturday in Raleigh, where the Hurricanes have been strong—winning all three home games in Round 1 and 31 of 41 during the regular season.
