Capitals crack code, even series vs. Hurricanes in Game 2: Takeaways

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WASHINGTON — Two days after looking like they were in for a potentially short series against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals punched back, winning Game 2 by a 3-1 score behind strong goaltending from Logan Thompson, a breakaway goal from Connor McMichael and a crucial lead-extending power-play goal from John Carlson.

Tom Wilson secured the win with an empty net goal to make it 3-1 late in the third period.

“We weren’t certainly great, that’s for sure,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game. “And you’ve got to give Washington credit. They played a much better game. … We knew it was going to be hard. We didn’t expect it to be anything but like this.”

The result completely changes the tenor of the matchup. Carolina had earned a 1-0 series lead behind a remarkable 2-1 overtime win in Game 1 that saw it out-attempt Washington by 60.

Now, it’s 1-1. Here’s what I saw in Game 2.

Puck luck

Carolina defenseman Sean Walker got some amount of hockey justice in the second period. He made a bad pass along the boards off partner Shayne Gostisbehere’s face, and the puck wound up directly on the stick of Capitals winger McMichael, who beat Frederik Andersen on a mini-breakaway for the game’s first goal.

Later in the period, though, Walker’s luck turned. He was playing without a stick, which led directly to a chance for Anthony Beauvillier in front of an open net. Beauvillier completely missed, and Washington’s lead remained 1-0.

Overall, the second period was Washington’s best of the series to that point. At five-on-five, attempts were even (20-20), and the Capitals led in shots on net (8-4). More crucially, they held a 6-1 lead in high-danger chances.

“We’re much better. We feel so much more comfortable,” coach Spencer Carbery said on the ESPN broadcast shortly after McMichael’s goal. “We’re getting there. It’s coming.”

Wilson, Carlson bounce back

You’re not going to see many more consequential penalties than Brent Burns’ hook on Washington’s Brandon Duhaime at 1:32 of the third period. Twenty-two seconds in, the Capitals’ Carlson scored off a series of crisp passes and a primary setup by Wilson to give Washington a 2-0 lead.

That was the Capitals’ first multi-goal lead of the series and one they wouldn’t relinquish. It was the first power-play goal allowed by Carolina in 21 postseason opportunities. And it was a necessary bit of positive play from Carlson, who’d been brutal in Game 1 and shaky overall in the postseason. Washington needs production from the 35-year-old, whether it’s at five-on-five or with the man advantage.

Credit to Wilson, too, who bounced back from a brutal Game 1 himself.

“There’s enough experience in this group,” he said after Washington’s 2-1 loss. “It’s one game. I don’t think anyone expected the playoffs just to be a straight line of ups. There’s going to be ups and downs. The next game’s the biggest game.”

Mangiapane makes a difference

It hasn’t been a particularly eventful postseason for Capitals third-liner Andrew Mangiapane — he started the game with one goal and one assist in six games — but he made some positive contributions in the second period that didn’t show up on the scoresheet.

The first came on McMichael’s goal; Mangiapane pressured Walker along the boards and helped cause that failed dump pass to Gostisbehere. The second came with 4:52 remaining in the second period, when he won a puck race with Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forced Orlov to choose between tackling him or allowing a breakaway. Orlov went with option No. 1 and headed to the box for two minutes. Washington didn’t score on the power play, but its mere existence helped keep Carolina out of Washington’s zone. In a 1-0 game, that counts for plenty.

Plays like that make Mangiapane valuable on any roster, even if that 35-goal season with the Calgary Flames back in 2021-22 turns out to be an anomaly.

Capitalizing is everything

Carolina immediately seized back control of the run of play at the start of the third period, eventually pressuring McMichael into a puck-over-glass penalty. Gostisbehere capitalized 50 seconds later, cutting Washington’s lead in half.

Ultimately, it worked out for the Capitals, but the period overall is a nice reminder of just how dominant a five-on-five team the Hurricanes can be. They’re not going to give you many chances, so you need to capitalize on the ones you get.

Washington weathers the storm early

Given the events of Game 1, when Carolina out-attempted Washington 32-6 at five-on-five in the first period, it was tough not to track the shot counter, especially in the first 20 minutes. We got more of the same, in some ways — Carolina controlled things, holding a 23-11 edge in attempts and an 11-3 edge in scoring chances — but Washington managed to do some work around the margins.

The most promising development for the Capitals was the play of their second line (Pierre-Luc Dubois between McMichael and Wilson). That group — responsible for Washington’s most consistently substantive five-on-five play in the regular season — had been demolished in Game 1. Thursday, the trio came out a little stronger, basically playing Carolina to a draw in the first period. Wilson also laid out in a full-body slide to block a shot by Jordan Staal, saving a goal and starting a sequence that led to Carolina taking a hooking penalty that carried over into the second period.

Wilson’s block was one of 33 for the Capitals on the night. In Game 1, they had 32.

“Any time you have a shot-heavy defensive corps like they have, it’s important for us to make sure we’re getting in lanes and committing to lanes,” Washington winger Brandon Duhaime said. “It’s not just one line that’s doing it. It’s every guy. You see (Wilson’s) block there, again we’re praising him, but he goes face-first for a block. … Guys feed off that and that momentum.

(Photo of Connor McMichael: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)





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