On the heels of the craziest game of their seasons thus far, the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals will play each other in a matinee game, scheduled for 5:00 PM EST. Dealt the short end of the divisional matchup stick this time around, it will be just the third and final time the two will meet this season – a commonality that will end for all 32 teams in the 2026-27 season upon restructuring from 82 to 84 games per season.
The Hurricanes, by all intents and purposes, appeared as though they would lose the last game against the Utah Mammoth. However, they instead made NHL history as they rallied past a two-goal deficit with less than two minutes left, becoming only the third team in NHL history to record a regulation win under those circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Capitals had their hands full with their own brand of insanity. As they led the game against the Detroit Red Wings by two points late in the third period, Alex Debrincat rallied two goals to send things to overtime. The game-tying freak goal was a piece of crazy all on its own, bouncing off the camera hole and into the net.
Then, in overtime, goaltender Charlie Lindgren appeared to have been injured. However, he remained in the net through the shootout, and Nic Dowd won the game for them with his first shootout goal in the NHL, giving the Capitals their first shootout victory this season. After the celebration, the injured netminder was helped off the ice by his teammates.
When it comes to the net for Carolina in the upcoming game, the likely starter will be Frederik Andersen after he assumed the starter’s crease during practice on Friday. Despite questionable numbers this season and a very bumpy stretch, Andersen’s latest games have been a significant improvement. His record this season is 7-10-4, with a save percentage of .869 and a goals against average of 3.23.
As for the Capitals, one of their biggest questions is who will be in the net Saturday evening. Both Logan Thompson and Lindgren are injured, and it is unknown if either will return for the game. If neither is ready, the likely starter is Clay Stevenson, who was recalled from the Hershey Bears on Friday. Currently, he only has one game under his belt – a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final game of the 2024-25 season, where he logged a .868 save percentage. As for his potential backup, it isn’t out of the question to see a return of food critic and emergency backup goalie, Parker Milner.
Expected Carolina Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen / Brandon Bussi
Expected Capitals Lines
Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier
Aliaksei Protas – Justin Sourdif – Tom Wilson
Connor McMichael – Nic Dowd – Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime – Hendrix Lapierre – Ethen Frank
Defense
Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Rasmus Sandin – Declan Chisholm
Goaltenders
It could be any combination of goaltenders, though, unless there are returns of injured netminders, it could very well be Clay Stevensov / Parker Milner.
Special Teams
Carolina Hurricanes power play: 21.8% (13th, moved up one spot from the previous game)
Carolina Hurricanes penalty kill: 80.5% (12th)
Washington Capitals power play: 16.7% (26th)
Washington Capitals penalty kill: 78.2% (21st)
Hurricanes Game Notes
After a five-game absence, Shayne Gostisbehere returned to play in the last game – and in an incredibly impactful way, as he scored three points against the Mammoth (2G, 1A).
Eric Robinson remains out and is unlikely to return until after the Olympic break, per Rod Brind’Amour.
In the Hurricanes’ game against the Mammoth, Kotkaniemi was shaken up after he took a brutal cross-check into the boards by Mikhail Sergachev. However, he finished the game.
How To Watch
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
