There are few things better than a Friday Night in Raleighwood. For the first time this season, the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice to celebrate the end of the work week, welcoming the Washington Capitals to the Lenovo Center. The Canes fell 1-0 to the Florida Panthers to begin the year, but they banked a point with an overtime loss on an otherwise fruitless night.
Despite their struggles offensively against the Cats, the Canes deployed the same group on Friday. The line combinations and defensive pairs remained in place, and Brandon Bussi was back between the pipes after a strong 19-for-20 performance on Tuesday. The Capitals countered with Logan Thompson and the league's biggest lineup, led by captain Alex Ovechkin.
While the Canes' offensive game continued to be stifled, the Capitals didn't take the same path as the Panthers. They scored early and often in the first period. A miscue behind the net by Bussi allowed Alex Tuch to score into a vacant net in his Washington debut. Cole Hutson snapped one home during a delayed penalty five minutes later. Late in the frame, Tuch popped home his second of the night.
With a three-goal advantage after 20 minutes, the Capitals kept coming. Jakob Chychrun scored early on the power play to extend the lead to four. The Canes moved the puck well and earned a few power plays. Eventually, Sebastian Aho broke the seal, scoring late in the period while up a man to bring the crowd to life. Ryan Leonard scored eight seconds later to kill the mood once more.
Just keep swimming pic.twitter.com/2BfUD7pk35
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 3, 2026
The Canes got a few more chances on the power play at the beginning of the period, and while they moved the puck well, they were unable to get anything past Thompson. It took a nice tip from Logan Stankoven to shrink the lead. K'Andre Miller's shot from the point was perfectly escorted under Thompson's glove. They never got closer than three as the Capitals handed the Canes a 5-2 loss.
The first two games were night and day for Bussi and the defense
Brandon Bussi was the best Hurricane on the ice against the Panthers on Tuesday. To put it nicely, he was not tonight. The Canes' netminder had a tough night, and it all began with the one area of his game that really hurt him last season. Bussi lacked much urgency when going to play a puck behind the net. Pierre-Luc Dubois provided pressure and poked the puck away, leading to Alex Tuch's goal.
That was the lowlight of his night, but it never got much better. In fact, the only goal that I look at as not being completely on him is the goal shortly after the Canes broke the shutout. Cole Hutson's goal was stoppable. Tuch's second goal was a shot that snuck through Bussi's pads. Washington's goal on the power play was a floater from distance. It was a rough night for the man between the pipes.
That sentiment really goes for the entire defense. The Canes found themselves on the wrong side of too many odd-man rushes all night. While many of them didn't end up in the back of the net, it's not a good trend for the group. They looked locked in on Tuesday. They looked disjointed on Friday. They must find that balance moving forward because they looked uncharacteristically porous tonight.
The power play looked sharper, but they need more conversions
The Hurricanes have gotten a lot of work on their power play through the opening two games. After going 0-for-6 in the season opener, they operated six more times against the Capitals. They looked much more dangerous in their second game, and it showed on the shot chart. The Canes had 15 shots on the power play, just one less than what they had at 5-on-5 against Logan Thompson.
It resulted in the Canes finally scoring their first goal of the season. It's fitting that it came off Sebastian Aho's stick. He's on the hunt for the Canes' all-time goals record, and he's one step closer with his first tally. The hope is that success on the power play can help ease some tensions and get the offense going the way we know it can.
They got one more later in the game from Logan Stankoven to make a blowout look slightly less like a blowout than it was. Andrei Svechnikov looked dangerous, picking up an assist on Aho's goal and recording six shots. Jordan Martinook was all over the ice. Jordan Staal had some good looks. Obviously, it doesn't matter much if you don't convert, but it's something to build on.
It's too early for summary judgment, though early returns aren't good
If seasons were defined by the first two games, the Hurricanes would be cooked. They've played two games on opposite ends of the spectrum, going from a defensive struggle to a lopsided loss in just a few days. When you're beginning the season with two games at home, it's not ideal to only come out with one of a possible four points.
The journey is at the start, with 82 games left in the season. There is no reason to be down on this team's chances after two games. I've decided on a ten-game trial for the Canes after a short summer. If this becomes the status quo by the end of ten games, then I might be a little more concerned. Until then, let's save our doomsday scenarios for another day.
The Canes won't have much time to feel sorry for themselves, completing their busy weekend with a trip to Philadelphia on Saturday. Neither team has a win in their first two games, so something will have to give when the Canes and the Flyers collide in the City of Brotherly Love. The Flyers are certain to have a chip on their shoulders, so the Canes can't come out flat again on the road.
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