The Canes had their chances, but fell short against the Capitals.
The Carolina Hurricanes had their chances to score throughout the game, but Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren had most of the answers in a 3-1 Capitals victory.
It was not an ideal start for the Canes. Less than three minutes into the game, a bench minor for having too many men on the ice allowed the Washington offense to get going early. Despite killing the penalty, Carolina skated uphill to start the game.
The Hurricanes had some issues clearing the zone during the first period, and those struggles led to the game’s first score. Aliaksei Protas scored on a deflection with less than a minute left in the period, giving Washington a 1-0 lead.
A Tom Wilson penalty as time expired gave Carolina nearly two full minutes of power play time on clean ice to start the second.
The Canes did not convert, but their play improved.
Martin Necas hit the post at the 15:36 mark. Jakob Chychrun attempted to clear that Necas shot after it hit the post, but he sent it over the boards. That sequence sent Carolina to the power play with some momentum building on offense.
The second power play of the evening had some great puck movement and sustained pressure. Once again, the Canes came up short.
After the penalty expired, end-to-end action featured two amazing saves by each goalie.
Lindgren’s sliding windmill save on Tyson Jost during a three-on-one was one of the best of the season so far.
The game’s turning point was Washington’s goal with just under four minutes in the second period.
The Capitals were on the rush, and Pyotr Kochetkov was indecisive about whether to play the shot or the pass. Jakub Vrana caught Kochetkov on the far side to make it 2-0.
Once again, with less than a minute in the period, the Capitals scored.
Protas’s net-front presence screened Kochetkov and allowed Connor McMichael to snipe his team-leading 16th goal of the season.
Even with a 3-0 deficit, the Hurricanes continued to fight in the third.
Sean Walker took a penalty about six minutes into the period. The Canes killed it off, and soon after, Seth Jarvis got Carolina on the board.
Brent Burns’s takeaway at center ice turned into an odd-man rush for the Hurricanes. Jarvis had a give-and-go with Sebastian Aho, and Jarvis scored on the short side.
Continuing the trend in recent weeks for the Canes, the team was subject to another review for goaltender interference.
Around the six-minute mark, John Carlson crashed the net and knocked the goal off its moorings. Washington scored, but the refs reviewed when the puck crossed the goal line. The crew determined that the puck crossed the goal line before the net was dislodged, so it was a good goal.
Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour then challenged the goal for goaltender interference. Toronto determined Carlson did not do enough to avoid contact and the crease, so the goal was disallowed.
The Canes still had life, but time was running short.
Brind’Amour pulled Kochetkov, but Carolina could not muster quality chances over the final three minutes and fell 3-1.
The Hurricanes look to bounce back during a Sunday matinee against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.