Capitals pull even with Hurricanes after win in Game 2, knot series at 1-1
Tom Wilson threw down the gauntlet Thursday after the Washington Capitals’ morning skate.
“We’re a tough team to reckon with and we have to show that,” the Caps power forward said.
It wasn’t just talk. Wilson had a goal and assist and was the Caps’ best player in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup playoff series as Washington took a 3-1 victory at Capital One Arena.
Forward Connor McMichael scored in the second period and defenseman John Carlson had a power-play goal in the third for the Caps while goalie Logan Thompson made enough stops for Washington to gamely even the series. Wilson’s goal came on a late empty-netter that sealed it.
The two teams now head to Raleigh and Lenovo Center for the next two games of the second-round Eastern Conference series. Game 3 is Saturday at 6 p.m.
Shayne Gostisbehere’s power-play goal with 10:34 left in the third period got the Canes on the board and made it a 2-1 game. Carolina pulled goalie Frederik Andersen in the final two minutes for a sixth attacker, but Wilson scored.
After the final horn, Canes forward Logan Stankoven was surrounded by Caps after taking a slight slash on the ankle from McMichael and going after him. Wilson had a few heated words with Canes captain Jordan Staal before the teams finally left the ice.
“We knew it was going to be hard,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Having said that, we were still right in the game. You’ve got to give them credit. They dug in.
“We knew (the series) was going to be hard. We didn’t expect it to be anything but like this. It’s not surprising, It’s tight, tight, tight and we’ve got to regroup.”
In Game 1, the Canes rallied in the third for a tie and then took it to overtime before winning on defenseman Jaccob Slavin’s goal. But the Caps toughed it out Thursday in front of Thompson, who had 27 saves and benefited from 33 blocked shots by the Caps including six by former Canes defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Wilson, as always, was tough and physical, throwing his big body around the ice. The bruising forward also went down to block shots, fought for pucks, was active on the forecheck, and set up Carlson’s power-play goal in the third play, doing all the things Caps coach Spencer Carbery wanted to see out of his team.
Game 2 was much like Game 1 in that the first period again was scoreless and the Caps again picked up a goal early in the second for a 1-0 lead.
In the opener, the Canes’ OT win left the Caps muttering a bit about how meekly they had performed – in the playoffs, at home, against a Metro Division rival.
“As good as the Carolina Hurricanes are, we absolutely can play our best and win games against the Carolina Hurricanes,” Carbery said Thursday morning. “There is not a doubt in our minds or our players’ minds. We expect our guys to play a lot better tonight. That’s just the bottom line.”
The Caps had a couple of fortunate breaks in the second period, taking advantage of the first but not the second.
McMichael scored after Canes defenseman Sean Walker, looking to backhand a pass in the neutral zone, lifted the puck into the neck of Gostisbehere, his defensive partner. McMichael hopped on the puck and was off on a breakaway, beating Andersen to the glove side for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
“That goal was a tough one, just because of the way it happened,” Brind’Amour said. “We bang it off our own guy. That got them going, for sure. But we hung in there.”
Moments later, Walker lost his stick as the Caps entered the Carolina zone and Anthony Beauvillier soon was looking at an open net to Andersen’s left. But Beauvillier missed, keeping it a 1-0 game.
The Caps continued to pressure Andersen, outshooting the Canes 9-4 in the period. Alex Ovechkin once got off a pair of rapid-fire shots, Andersen making the the stops and leaving Ovechkin hunched over and frustrated.
“Our first was good but our second was no good,” Staal said. “Even the first half of our third was not great. “
The Canes’ penalty killing had been perfect in the playoffs — 20 for 20 — until defenseman Brent Burns was called for hooking early the third period. Wilson found Carlson open on a backdoor play and Carlson, unlike Beauvillier, did not miss an open net at 1:54 of the third.
The Canes made a push after falling behind 2-0, once spending three straight minutes in the Washington zone. The Canes then had a power play after a delay-of-game penalty against McMichael for knocking the puck over the glass, and Gostisbehere scored off a shot from the right circle.
While the first period again was scoreless, just as it was in Game 1, the Caps were a more assertive offensively, which was expected. The Canes were able to spend time in the Caps’ end, too, with a hustling forecheck, but neither team could manufacture many high-danger chances.
Canes forward Jack Roslovic, back in the lineup with center Mark Jankowski injured in the opener, did have a trio of good looks and did test Thompson. Staal also was in position in the slot a few times, but could not get off a good shot and had one blocked by Wilson.
The temperature of the game, which had a slow, less-than-emotional start that did not bother the Canes, began to rise on the ice as the opening period ticked off.
Wilson took a run at Jordan Martinook by the boards, Martinook slowing up and ducking the potential hit. Later, Staal lined up Wilson and sent him flying into the Caps’ bench.
The Canes were about to finish off another strong playoff period when defenseman Jalen Chatfield was called for the Canes’ first penalty of the game: a tripping call in the final minute of the period that Carolina was able to kill off,.
The Canes, 0-3 on the power play in Game 1, had a first-period power play Thursday but used up much of the two minutes with a string of slow passes and few shots. Wilson also horse-collared Andrei Svechnikov to the ice at one point, but no call was made.
“It’s great to come in here and get a win,” Walker said. “But at the end of the day we feel like we definitely could have put a better effort forth tonight and given ourselves a better chance.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 9:50 PM.
