Recap: Canes Pick Up Point Against Caps

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a game where they both led and trailed by two goals before fighting back to force overtime, the Carolina Hurricanes pocketed a well-earned point despite a 5-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

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Perhaps catching the Caps a bit flat-footed following an extended pregame ceremony for Alexander Ovechkin, the Hurricanes raced out to a 2-0 lead during a dominant opening stretch.

The first goal came conventionally, with Logan Stankoven's spinning shot from the left circle sneaking through Charlie Lindgren at 5:42. The second, though, arrived in strange fashion just 1:32 later - as Jackson Blake drove the puck toward the crease, he was clattered into by Tom Wilson, who sent Blake and the puck careening into a helpless Lindgren. The puck completely crossed the line amidst the chaos in the crease, and since Wilson was the one who caused the collision, the goal stood and Carolina doubled its lead.

From there, though, Washington went to work and potted four consecutive goals to erase Carolina's lead and take one of their own. A late PPG gave the Caps life with 1:54 to go in the opening frame, and another on the man advantage midway through the second period knotted the game at two. With momentum on their side, the Capitals tacked on another pair of goals - separated by just 38 seconds late in the middle frame - and went into the second intermission with a two-tally lead.

Needing a big push in the final frame, the visitors got a jolt from Jordan Martinook at 4:42 of the third as his seeing-eye shot found twine from distance. Carolina continued to claw back and completed the comeback with 1:45 remaining, with Sebastian Aho finding a streaking Seth Jarvis for a netfront tap-in to tie the game at four. Following a scoreless overtime - one in which the Canes spent two of the five minutes shorthanded - Washington prevailed in the breakaway contest as Pierre-Luc Dubois netted the lone goal.

Frederik Andersen stopped 24 of 28 shots to backstop his club to its first standings point since its last meeting with the Caps on April 2.

Stats & Standouts

• With the point earned in Washington, the Hurricanes have officially clinched home ice in their first-round playoff matchup against the New Jersey Devils. Tickets for Canes home playoff games are on sale now.
• Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven each found twine to mark the second time this season that multiple Hurricanes rookies have scored in the same game. The first of those came on April 2 when Blake and Stankoven scored in Carolina's win over Washington at Lenovo Center.
• Blake (16) and Stankoven (13) now rank T-6th and 10th, respectively, among all NHL rookies in goals this season.
• Jordan Martinook tallied his 14th goal of the season and needs just one more to match his career high of 15, set in 2018-19 during his first year in Carolina.
• Per the ESPN+ broadcast, Carolina recorded its league-leading 61st period of 30 or more shot attempts in the first frame, which is 30 more periods than any other NHL club.
• Thursday's contest marked the first time since Feb. 25 that the Canes have conceded multiple power-play goals in a game, and just the seventh time this season.
• The Hurricanes are now 0-3 in shootouts this season. The last time Carolina was winless in games that included a shootout was 2006-07 (0-5), and their three total shootouts so far this season are tied for the second-least since the shootout was introduced in 2005.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour summarizing the contest...

"They had a good second, we had a good first and third. We had to kill some penalties and did a great job in the overtime killing that. I didn't love the second period, but the rest of the game, I thought we were on it."

Rod Brind'Amour on what happened in the second period...

"(Washington) got playing and it's a good team. We're not going to dominate the game. It's not happening. They took it to us that period and you have to tip your hat. But I give credit to my guys, who came back, dug in, and gave ourselves a chance... (The second) wasn't a good period for us, but this team always finds a way to dig in. I can count on my hands the amount of times where we just played terrible the whole game. It doesn't happen."

Rod Brind'Amour showing his appreciation for his team battling back in the third, and not rolling over after how the middle frame went...

"That's what you're going to have to do. You're going to have to have ups and downs. I thought the first period we deserved way more. We only had (a one-goal lead), that's tough. They get that late one and I know they didn't like that period. We should have had more (goals). That's the part that when you look back on the game, we needed to get more out of. I'm happy with the way we came back."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to practice in Raleigh on Friday before returning to action at Lenovo Center against the Rangers on Saturday.

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