Alex Tuch Scores Twice as Capitals Open Season With 5-2 Win Over Hurricanes
By Brian Hradsky
The Washington Capitals opened the 2026-27 season in impressive fashion Friday night, defeating the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Washington scored three times in the opening period, built a four-goal advantage early in the second and received 31 saves from Logan Thompson to start the season 1-0-0.
Alex Tuch could hardly have scripted a better Capitals debut. The offseason acquisition scored twice in the first period, including Washington’s first goal of the season, immediately showing why the Capitals made a major commitment to him over the summer. Cole Hutson, Jakob Chychrun and Ryan Leonard also scored for Washington, while Pierre-Luc Dubois and Dylan Strome each finished with two assists.
For a Capitals team that underwent significant changes after missing the playoffs last season, beating Carolina on the road provided an early indication of what the revamped roster could look like. Washington attacked early, got production from both its newcomers and younger players, and then relied on Thompson and its penalty kill when Carolina began applying pressure.
Tuch Makes Immediate Impact
Tuch needed only 6:33 to score his first goal in a Capitals uniform. Dubois and Alex Ovechkin picked up the assists as Tuch beat Carolina goaltender Brandon Bussi with a wrist shot to put Washington ahead 1-0. The assist also gave Ovechkin his first point of his 22nd NHL season.
Washington continued attacking instead of settling into the game with a one-goal advantage. At 11:33, Hutson scored the first goal of his NHL career, with Ilya Protas and Aliaksei Protas earning the assists. Suddenly the Capitals had a 2-0 advantage against the defending champions.
Tuch struck again at 14:23.
Dubois and Tom Wilson assisted on Tuch’s second goal, which gave Washington a commanding 3-0 advantage before the first period was over. Tuch had two goals in less than eight minutes during his first period as a Capital.
Washington’s first-period performance was exactly the type of start Spencer Carbery wanted against a Carolina team known for its aggressive forecheck and ability to dictate games territorially. Instead of spending the opening minutes trying to survive Carolina’s pressure, Washington pushed the Hurricanes backward and forced them to chase the game.
Carbery called it a “fantastic start” afterward and praised the way Washington handled Carolina’s pressure while generating opportunities at the other end.
Capitals Make It 4-0
Washington did not wait long to add to its lead in the second period.
Chychrun scored a power-play goal just 1:36 into the period, with Strome assisting, to extend Washington’s advantage to 4-0. Chychrun, who finished with a goal and an assist, continued to provide the offensive production from the blue line that has become an important part of Washington’s attack.
Carolina eventually began creating opportunities, but the Hurricanes repeatedly found Thompson waiting for them.
The Capitals faced six consecutive Carolina power plays during a stretch of 22:39 spanning the second and third periods. That sequence could have completely changed the game, particularly against a Carolina team capable of generating sustained pressure. Instead, Washington’s penalty killers and Thompson prevented the Hurricanes from mounting a serious comeback.
Sebastian Aho finally broke through on the power play with 3:10 remaining in the second period, cutting Washington’s lead to 4-1. Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake assisted on Carolina’s first goal of the season.
Any momentum Carolina gained lasted only eight seconds.
Leonard answered immediately, scoring at 16:58 to restore Washington’s four-goal advantage at 5-1. That response was one of the biggest moments of the game because it prevented the Hurricanes from building any momentum from Aho’s goal.
Instead of entering the second intermission down three and feeling as though a comeback might be possible, Carolina went back to the locker room trailing by four.
Thompson Stands Tall
The final score might suggest Washington controlled every aspect of the game, but Thompson played an important role in making sure the Capitals’ early advantage held up.
Carolina finished with 33 shots on goal compared with Washington’s 27. Thompson stopped 31 of those 33 attempts, giving him a .939 save percentage in his first start of the season.
His work became especially important while Washington was shorthanded.
Carolina generated numerous opportunities because of the Capitals’ penalties, but Thompson repeatedly prevented the Hurricanes from turning those power plays into a sustained comeback. Carolina’s two goals ultimately came on the power play, but Washington survived enough of those situations to protect the lead.
Logan Stankoven scored Carolina’s second goal midway through the third period, cutting the deficit to 5-2. By then, however, Washington’s early offensive explosion had given Thompson and the defense more than enough room to close the game.
Bussi finished with 22 saves on 27 Washington shots for Carolina.
New Faces Deliver
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Washington’s opener was how quickly some of the new pieces contributed.
Tuch was the obvious headliner. Washington acquired the 30-year-old from Buffalo during the offseason in a sign-and-trade that included an eight-year, $84 million contract carrying a $10.5 million average annual value. One game does not define a major contract, but two goals in the opening period represented about as strong a debut as Washington could have hoped for.
Tuch said afterward that beating Carolina was a confidence builder and a useful measuring stick for the Capitals, while also emphasizing that Washington was capable of playing better.
Boone Jenner did not score, but his impact was noticeable in an area that became increasingly important as the game progressed. Jenner won 13 of his 17 faceoffs, including five of seven while Washington was shorthanded, and logged significant penalty-killing minutes.
Those contributions matter for a Capitals team trying to become more difficult to play against throughout its lineup.
Ovechkin Begins Season No. 22
Ovechkin’s 22nd NHL season started with another point.
The Capitals captain assisted on Tuch’s opening goal and finished the night with one assist. At 41, Ovechkin remains a central piece of Washington’s offense, but this opener also demonstrated that the Capitals may not have to depend on their captain to carry the scoring load every night.
Tuch scored twice. Hutson and Leonard contributed goals. Chychrun scored from the blue line. Dubois and Strome each collected two assists.
That is the type of balanced production Washington needs.
The Capitals have spent years trying to transition toward a younger and deeper roster while Ovechkin continues adding to one of the greatest careers in NHL history. Opening night provided a glimpse of what that transition could look like when several different parts of the lineup are contributing simultaneously.
A Statement Opening Night
It was only Game 1 of an 82-game schedule, but Washington could not have asked for a much better beginning.
The Capitals went into the building of the defending Stanley Cup champions and scored three times in the first period. They received two goals from one of their biggest offseason additions, goals from two young players in Hutson and Leonard, production from Chychrun and a 31-save performance from Thompson.
There are still areas to clean up.
Washington cannot expect to give opponents six consecutive power-play opportunities over a long stretch and consistently escape without consequences. Carolina eventually converted twice with the man advantage, and a closer game could have looked very different.
Still, the Capitals’ ability to withstand that pressure was encouraging.
Washington built its lead when it had the opportunity and protected it when Carolina pushed back.
The Capitals now immediately turn their attention toward another road game. Washington visits the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday night in the second half of a back-to-back.
MSB Take
If the Capitals wanted to make a statement on opening night, they accomplished it.
Washington did not simply beat Carolina. The Capitals jumped on the defending Stanley Cup champions immediately and forced the Hurricanes to spend almost the entire night trying to recover. Tuch scoring twice in his debut could not have been a better start for one of Washington’s biggest offseason acquisitions, while Hutson and Leonard finding the net provided another encouraging sign for the organization’s younger core.
Thompson deserves just as much credit. Washington took too many penalties, and against a team as dangerous as Carolina that could have turned a comfortable lead into a completely different game. Thompson made sure it did not.
Most importantly, the Capitals looked deeper. Ovechkin did not have to score three goals for Washington to win. Production came from throughout the lineup, and the newcomers immediately played meaningful roles.
It is one game, and Washington has 81 remaining. But going into Raleigh and beating the defending champions 5-2 is about as good an opening-night result as the Capitals could have wanted.
Final: Washington Capitals 5, Carolina Hurricanes 2.
