It was just 11 days ago that the Washington Capitals came for a visit. Alex Tuch, playing in his first game as a Capital, scored twice in the opening frame, helping Washington get out to a 4-0 lead early in the second. Sebastian Aho finally broke through for the team's first goal on the power play, only for it to be ruined eight seconds later. Washington stormed into town and earned a big 5-2 win.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been a very different team since that defeat. They haven't lost, winning their last five games. Sure, one could point out the level of opponents they've faced, outside of the Montreal Canadiens, but that doesn't take away from just how dominant the Hurricanes have been over their last five outings. They're looking like the team that just won the Stanley Cup.
Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and William Carrier are a big reason for that. The trio combined for six points in the team's 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night. Aho and Svechnikov had a goal and an assist each, and Pyotr Kochetkov looked outstanding to propel the group to a fifth straight win. The vibes in Raleigh, North Carolina, are pretty good right now.
Behind Enemy Lines: Washington Capitals
Since winning at the Lenovo Center during their season opener, the Capitals have split their last four contests. They've had no issues against the Metropolitan Division, with their three victories coming against the Canes, the Penguins, and the Rangers. However, they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Seattle Kraken at home on Sunday.
There have been a few slow starters for Washington thus far. Alex Tuch has just one goal since Opening Night. Jordan Kyrou only has two points. Alex Ovechkin, Aliaksei Protas, and Ilya Protas only have two as well. However, Ryan Leonard has points in four of five games, Tom Wilson leads the way with five points, and Logan Thompson, outside of Sunday's stinker, has looked sharp.
Of course, along with all 32 teams in the league playing on the same night as part of Frozen Frenzy, tonight will also mark the final visit of Ovechkin's career after announcing that the 2026-27 season will be his last. He has always been a menace against the Canes, though he was quiet the last time they visited, so I expect to see some fireworks from him.
Injury Report
Carolina: The Hurricanes didn't practice on Monday, so Jordan Staal's status likely won't be known until this morning. He missed Sunday's contest in Philadelphia with a lower-body injury. Seth Jarvis remains the only other notable injury for the group.
Washington: The Capitals placed Matt Roy on IR with a knee injury on Monday, and Pierre-Luc Dubois isn't traveling to Raleigh because of an illness, taking a big part of their forward group out of the equation. Washington also moved Rasmus Sandin to LTIR as he recovers from knee surgery.
Players to Watch
Alex Ovechkin: It'll be mentioned several times throughout tonight's broadcast that Ovechkin was drafted in this building, known then as the RBC Center, in 2003. Since then, he has done nothing but cause the Hurricanes problems. Tonight, he'll make his final regular-season appearance in Raleigh, though I won't close the door on it being his last time ever.
Jakob Chychrun: Since picking up a goal and an assist in their season opener in Raleigh, Chychrun has just one assist, and he's playing a lot of hockey. Playing 25:08 per night, he's averaging almost 3:30 more time on the ice than anyone else on his team. Chychrun had eight shots in over 27 minutes against Seattle on Sunday, so he's certainly on the verge of getting right.
William Carrier: The loss to Washington prompted the Canes' head coach to make a change to the top line, albeit one that we were very confused by in the moment. Since his promotion, Carrier has recorded five assists in five games, including a pair of helpers on Sunday night. He is playing some of his best hockey, and now he'll provide a little heaviness up top against a big Washington squad.
Sean Walker: No defenseman had more points over the last week than Walker. Four of his five points, all assists, came in the team's 7-2 win over the Canucks on Thursday, and he added one more on Sunday against his former team. He had at least one point at all three strengths, too. Walker, like his team, is playing some outstanding hockey right now.
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