The Hurricanes snuff the Capitals

Svechnikov's backhand keeps Carolina's candle burning

Night one ghosts

The Carolina Hurricanes walked into qualification night with a bad memory. In two of the last three Gauntlets, their flame died on this first night: doused by the Ottawa Senators in 2024-25 and snuffed by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24. Finishing 2nd of 32 last season bought them nothing here. Lose to the Washington Capitals and the candle went dark on night one again.

Washington led twice. Boone Jenner snapped one in at 9:26 of the first, Ryan Leonard assisting. Andrei Svechnikov poked the equalizer home at 3:58 of the second. Then Justin Holl, a defenseman, answered with a snap shot 2:41 later, set up by Dylan Strome and Leonard.

The backhand that burned

Eric Robinson pulled Carolina level at 18:49 of the second with a snap shot, fed by Jackson Blake and Sean Walker. Logan Thompson made 31 saves to keep the Capitals breathing. Then Justin Sourdif went off for tripping at 13:49 of the third. At 13:56, Svechnikov backhanded the power-play winner off a Nikolaj Ehlers feed.

Mark Jankowski sealed it at 18:33, backhanding into the empty net with Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho assisting. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 20 of 22. Washington's flame went cold. Carolina burns on, one of 28 still lit.