The Washington Capitals were completely outplayed by the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on May 6.
In front of a home crowd at the Capital One Arena, Carolina outshot Washington 33-14 and out hit them 42-30. The Hurricanes took a 1-0 series lead after defeating the Capitals 2-1 in overtime.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery didn't mince words after the loss, noting they were "off" all night. "It wasn't good,” Carbery said. “That's the bottom line. Our entire game was not good. We'll regroup and get ready for Game 2.”
The final score does little to reflect just how dominant the Canes were offensively, and Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson deserves major credit for keeping Washington in the game.
When asked about Thompson's performance on Tuesday night, Carbery didn't hesitate in his response. "I thought he was fantastic," he said.
The Caps made sure to give Thompson, the lone bright spot for the team in Game 1, his flowers on Wednesday. Capitals PR announced, "Thompson ranks second in the NHL in goals-against average (2.17) and save percentage (.926) this postseason (min. 5 GP).
"In addition, Thompson ranks first among goaltenders with at least five games played in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (0.58)."
The 28-year-old goalie stopped 31 of 33 shots on goal in Game 1. In order to even the series in Game 2 on Thursday, Washington needs to regroup and they know it.
"Obviously, we're not happy with the effort we put out yesterday and we'll make adjustments and move forward," Capitals left wing Brandon Duhaime told reporters. "We kinda got to look in the mirror at ourselves and improve our game.
"I think any time you can respond after a loss, it shows the character in the room."
Following a loss this season, Washington is 24-7-1.
