3 Takeaways From Hurricanes’ 2-1 Overtime Game 1 Win Over Capitals

Another game, another overtime thriller for the Carolina Hurricanes as they won Game 1 of Round 2 2-1, after Jaccob Slavin secured it with the game-winning goal. The Hurricanes did not lead the entire game, but that did not matter as they now have a 1-0 series lead following the win on Tuesday night (May 6). What else stood out in the Hurricanes’ opening series Game 1 win, outside of the Slavin overtime game-winning goal?

Takeaway #1: Played Hurricanes Hockey

One of the things the Hurricanes needed to do against the Washington Capitals was to stick to their game. That meant not falling into the trap of playing a physical game and/or getting into scrums, retaliatory penalties, etc. The goal for the Hurricanes is to play their game for the full 60 minutes and control the tempo of the game. After Game 1, they most certainly did that as they outshot the Capitals 33-14. Moreover, they had 94 shot attempts to the Capitals’ 34. The Hurricanes almost had more shots on goal compared to shot attempts.

Related: 3 Keys to the Hurricanes Defeating the Capitals in Round 2

Furthermore, what really stood out was that the offensive zone time was drastically different between the two sides. The Hurricanes had 33:28 compared to the Capitals’ 16:51. When adding that context to the shot attempts and shots on goal, it makes sense as to why the high-volume shooting offense that the Hurricanes use resulted in the Game 1 win. That’s after the Capitals blocked 32 shots on the night. Carolina is known as a high-volume shooting team, and that was on display on Tuesday night. If there is something to give the Hurricanes an edge, it’s their relentless forechecking style of play of putting pressure on their opponents in all three zones of the ice. Carolina is a ‘grind their opponents into the ground’ 200-foot hockey team.

Their transition play with their structured defense to offense mentality will wear teams down mentally and physically. If the Hurricanes can play like that all game, their opponents will wear out, which was shown in Game 1, where the offensive zone times were so far apart, along with the shot totals. The Hurricanes are a younger team with tons of speed up and down the lineup. That style of play with their constant shooting abilities, eventually, works out for them if all things are going in the right direction.

Takeaway #2: Frederik Andersen Does it Again

What else is there to say about Frederik Andersen? The Danish netminder’s first game after the contract extension locked it down for the Hurricanes as he gave up one goal again in the playoffs. That’s the fourth time he allowed one goal in the 2025 NHL Playoffs (Games 1, 2 and 4 in Round 1 and Game 1 in Round 2). So far in five starts, Andersen is 4-1 with a .931 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.54 goals-against average (GAA). In 63:06 of ice time in Game 1 for the Hurricanes, Andersen stopped 13 of 14 shots to end the night with a .929 SV%. Outside of his Game 4 exit in the first round, where he only faced seven shots (.857 SV%), Andersen has a SV% of .958, .962, .919, and .929 in his five playoff starts.

If there is a constant presence for the Hurricanes, it’s Andersen, who has been arguably the best player for Carolina. While Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis have led the way in scoring, there is no doubt that it has been Andersen who’s kept the team in games all playoff long. During the postgame, head coach Rod Brind’Amour commented on Andersen’s Game 1 performance, “That’s tough. It seems easy, but when you’re not in the flow and you’re watching the guy at the other end and you can tell he’s dialed in. Freddie had the one breakaway there, and I don’t even know if he got credit for a save, but you could tell he was on it. That was a huge one for us. He knows it. He’s been here long enough. You’ve got to stay focused, and he did a good job.”

Related: Hurricanes & Andersen Are Running it Back for One More Season

That is all you need to know about Andersen. Games like Game 1 and the first round, for good measure, are why the Hurricanes are bringing him back for another season. The calm nature of Andersen is what the team needs, especially in tightly contested playoff games. The ability to lock it in while only facing 14 shots goes a long way to the Hurricanes clawing back into the game and winning like they did in overtime without leading once.

When asked about his performance, Andersen stated, “I just try and take what comes my way and be in that moment all of the time. I just tried to stay with it and like I’ve said many times, you don’t know when that big save’s going to happen, you just have to try to make it.” The big saves came at different moments, but Andersen stepped up to them, and now the Hurricanes lead 1-0 in their series as it shifts to Game 2 on Thursday.

Takeaway #3: Penalty Kill Power Kills Capitals

The Hurricanes’ penalty killers did their jobs once again as the NHL’s best went 2-for-2 on the night. They are still perfect with a now 17-for-17 clip to stay as the only 100% squad in the playoffs, more like 105.9% Net PK if you count the Jordan Martinook shorthanded goal in Game 2 of Round 1. Either way, the power kill did their thing once again, and it would be no surprise if assistant coach Tim Gleason is loving the effort his units are doing so far in the playoffs. If they can limit the chances that Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals have, there is a solid chance the penalty kill could be unstoppable once again. Can they stay at 100%? It’ll be tough to do, but there is no doubt they’ll be the number one unit in the playoffs at this rate. It’s just sticking to their game plan and not giving the Capitals too many chances. Overall, what a solid effort for the Hurricanes’ penalty killers in Game 1 of Round 2.

Game 2 on Thursday

Now that the series is 1-0 in favor of the Hurricanes, Game 2 on Thursday night (May 8) will be a huge one for both teams. The Hurricanes look to take a 2-0 series lead going back to Raleigh, while the Capitals are hoping to split the first two games. If Carolina manages to take both games in Washington, D.C., that will put a massive amount of pressure on Washington going into Game 3 on Saturday, May 10, on the road. Either way, the Hurricanes stole one in Game 1 and now have control of the series. Game 2 will start at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The radio side of the game will be on 99.9 The Fan with Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy on the call.