Tuch's Debut Sparks Washington
Alex Tuch made an immediate impact in his first appearance for Washington, scoring two goals as the Capitals defeated the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Friday night in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tuch, who joined Washington in an offseason trade after spending five seasons with Buffalo, opened the scoring at 6:33 of the first period with a wrist shot. He added his second goal on a backhander with 5:37 remaining in the opening frame. The 41-year-old Alex Ovechkin, beginning his 22nd NHL season, assisted on Tuch's first goal.[S1]
Capitals Build Early Lead
Washington surged to a three-goal advantage in the first period. Cole Hutson scored on a snap shot with 8:27 left in the period, and Tuch's second goal came with 5:37 to go. Jakob Chychrun extended the lead to 4-0 on a power play at 1:36 of the second period. Logan Thompson made 31 saves for the Capitals.[S1]
Hurricanes Respond But Fall Short
Carolina got on the board when Sebastian Aho scored on a power play with 3:10 left in the second period. However, Ryan Leonard restored Washington's four-goal cushion just eight seconds later. Logan Stankoven scored midway through the third period for the Hurricanes. Brandon Bussi stopped 22 shots for Carolina, which opened its season Tuesday night at home with a 1-0 overtime loss to Florida.[S1]
Up Next
The Capitals travel to Tampa Bay on Saturday night, while the Hurricanes visit Philadelphia on Saturday night.[S1]
