Slavin scores in OT, Hurricanes defeat Capitals in Game 1 of Eastern 2nd Round

WASHINGTON -- Jaccob Slavin scored at 3:06 of overtime, giving the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.

Slavin won it with a shot from the right point that got through traffic and under the right pad of Capitals goalie Logan Thompson.

“The puck came out to me at the point there and I was just trying to get it to the net,” Slavin said. “I knew we had some numbers at the net, and I didn’t know it went in until I saw Jordan Staal, ‘Staalsie,’ coming with his arms up yelling at me. So that’s huge win as a team.”

Logan Stankoven also scored for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division and trailed 1-0 midway through the third period. Frederik Andersen made 13 saves in his return after missing the series-ending Game 5 of the first round against the New Jersey Devils because of an undisclosed injury sustained during Game 4 on April 29.

“I thought our guys played hard every shift, right from the start of the game,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I liked how we were playing. Obviously we were down. But yeah, there's a certain plan. Both teams have it. I thought we were on it tonight. Sometimes you don't get rewarded, but tonight we did.”

Aliaksei Protas scored his first goal of the playoffs, and Thompson made 31 saves for the Capitals, who are the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan and the East.

“It wasn't good,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “That's the bottom line. Our entire game was not good. We'll regroup and get ready for Game 2.”

The best-of-7 series will continue in Washington on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS).

Carolina outshot Washington 12-5 in a goalless first period.

“They were pressuring us all over the ice,” Capitals forward Dylan Strome said. “We’ve got to find a way to break it. I felt like we didn’t play our style of hockey tonight. We kind of let them dictate the game, and they’re a good team when you let them do that.”

Protas gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 3:53 of the second period. As Carolina’s Shayne Gostisbehere and Washington’s Brandon Duhaime battled for the puck at the Capitals blue line, Protas poked the puck to himself, skated down the right side and scored with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle to the far post.

Andersen made a save on Anthony Beauvillier, who was alone in front, at 12:08 to keep the Hurricanes within one.

“I think [if] they get that second one, the game is a whole different story maybe,” Stankoven said. “So we’re trying at the other end to create offense, and when we do give up chances or there are breakdowns, he’s there for us.”

Stankoven tied it 1-1 at 9:42 of the third following a Washington turnover in its own zone. After a Protas pass deflected off Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev’s skate in the left circle, Jesperi Kotkaniemi recovered the puck and passed to Stankoven, who scored on a glove-side wrist shot from the slot.

“Yeah, I think just a great play by ‘KK’ there to get the puck to me,” Stankoven said. “Their defenseman kind of was taking away the pass to [Taylor Hall], so I just thought I’d rip it and it was nice to see it go in.”

Washington was held to three shots on goal in the third period and had none during the brief overtime.

"There's enough experience in this group. It's one game,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said. “I don't think anyone expected the playoffs just to be a straight line of ups. There's going to be ups and downs. The next game's the biggest game."

NOTES: Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-7 series own an all-time series record of 531-249 (.681), including a 6-2 mark during the 2025 first round. … Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski left the game during the second period because of an undisclosed injury. Brind’Amour did not have an update. … Andersen got his 15th career playoff win with Carolina and passed Arturs Irbe for the second most in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history, behind Cam Ward (23). He is 15-8 in 24 playoff starts for the Hurricanes. … Strome had a five-game playoff point streak end. He could have become the first player in Capitals history with a six-game postseason-opening point streak.