The Washington Capitals are already back in Raleigh, North Carolina, for their final regular-season visit to play the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.
After Washington beat Carolina in their own barn 5-2 on October 2, the Hurricanes haven’t lost another game, building an NHL-best five-game winning streak and climbing to the top of the league standings with 11 points.
“We counter-punched their pressure,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said of the win. “We were able to push back, not just sit in the corner like a boxer and just take body shots and let them hammer away. We came back at them. We were able to break their pressure and put them on their heels. I felt like we did a really good job of that, and that’s how you build a lead against them, which usually they’re not in that scenario, especially playing at home.”
Since the loss, the Hurricanes have outscored their opponents 25-11, including a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game on Sunday. Finnish center Sebastian Aho leads Carolina in scoring, with 11 points (6g, 5a) in seven games so far this season.
“I think just the first couple of games, whatever it is, call it a Stanley Cup hangover, we jumped on them early here,” Carbery said Tuesday. “I think they just got back to doing exactly what they’ve done over the last five years. Just playing their game, applying pressure, winning the special teams battle. Just playing to their identity.”
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Capitals injury updates
The Capitals will once again be without top-line center Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness) and top-pairing defender Matt Roy (lower-body injury), as neither player traveled to North Carolina with the team. Dubois will miss his second game in a row, while Roy has not played since leaving early in October 3’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Alex Tuch, who did not participate in Washington’s practice on Monday for what the club called “maintenance,” did take the ice for their morning skate on Tuesday. However, Carbery would not commit to him dressing against the Hurricanes.
“Lineup-wise, there’s just too many things going on, so it’ll be game-time for lineup with the backend and up front,” Carbery said. “We’ll see tonight; [Tuch] is a game-time (decision).”
First stop on Alex Ovechkin’s farewell tour
Alex Ovechkin will play his final regular season game at Lenovo Center as the Capitals get their trips to Raleigh out of the way early this year.
Ovechkin has not recorded more points against any other NHL franchise than his 111 points (53g, 58a) in 97 games against Carolina. He has also scored more career goals against only two other franchises: the Winnipeg Jets (58) and the Philadelphia Flyers (54).
Hurricanes lose their captain
The Hurricanes will not have Jordan Staal on the ice for the next several weeks. Carolina’s captain has a tear in his calf, and head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced that it will keep him out of the lineup “anywhere from a month to two months.”
Carolina is already still without star forward Seth Jarvis, who has yet to make his season debut after undergoing surgery on a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder this past June. He has progressed to practicing in a regular jersey, but is still serving as an extra skater during Carolina’s practices.
Projected lineup
Capitals lines
After falling to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, the Capitals recalled defenseman Justin Holl from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, and he appears set to make his full Caps debut on Tuesday.
According to John Walton, here is how the Caps lined up during their morning skate.
Hurricanes lines
Carolina’s projected lines come via team reporter Walt Ruff.
Fun factoids
- The Capitals have won their last two road games in Raleigh. They haven’t won three in a row in Carolina since a three-game stretch from January 3, 2020 to March 18, 2022.
- Tuesday night’s game will be the 210th all-time matchup between the two franchises, with the Capitals holding a 114-81-14 record in the prior games. The Caps are 51-43-10 all-time on the road against the Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers.
- In 48 career road games against Carolina, Ovechkin has recorded 59 points (33g, 26a). His 33 goals, 26 assists, and 59 points at Lenovo Center are the most that he has recorded at an NHL venue other than Capital One Arena.
Puck drop is set for 6:45 pm due to the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy, when all 32 teams play on the same night with staggered start times. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call on Monumental Sports Network.
