Tuch scores twice in his first game for Washington, helping the Capitals beat the Hurricanes 5-2
Washington capitalized on a strong start to beat the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes 5-2, with Alex Tuch scoring twice in his Capitals debut after an offseason trade. The veteran forward helped spark a three-goal first period, aided by an assist from Alex Ovechkin as Washington grabbed early momentum. Cole Hutson, Jakob Chychrun and Ryan Leonard contributed additional goals, while Logan Thompson made 31 saves to secure the win. Carolina countered with goals from Sebastian Aho and Logan Stankoven, but couldn’t sustain pressure. Washington now shifts to a matchup with Tampa Bay, while Carolina visits Philadelphia in the following game.
Dive Deeper:
Alex Tuch scored twice in his first game with Washington after joining the Capitals in an offseason trade from Buffalo, providing an immediate scoring impact.
The Capitals opened a three-goal first period, with Tuch scoring at 6:33, Hutson adding a snap shot at 11:33, and Tuch completing a backhander with 5:37 remaining in the period.
Jakob Chychrun tallied on a power play at 1:36 of the second to push the lead to 4-0, underscoring Washington’s offensive surge before Carolina found traction.
Sebastian Aho spoiled the shutout with a power-play goal at 3:10 of the third, and Ryan Leonard responded moments later to make it 5-1 before Logan Stankoven’s tally in the middle of the third.
Alex Ovechkin opened his 22nd NHL season with an assist on Tuch’s opening goal, continuing his long-term role on the Capitals’ top line.
Logan Thompson stopped 31 shots for Washington, while Brandon Bussi turned aside 22 attempts for Carolina in a losing effort.
The Hurricanes opened their season with an overtime loss to Florida, framing this game as a test of how they adapt after a rocky start to the year.