Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals on Dec 12, 2025. Final score: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Washington Capitals 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 12, 2025 |
| Venue | Capital One Arena |
| Carolina Hurricanes score | 3 |
| Washington Capitals score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18:54 | 0.01 | 2.52 |
| 2nd | Logan Stankoven | C | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:54 | 0.65 | 2.00 |
| 3rd | Connor McMichael | C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:27 | 0.15 | 1.53 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Carolina Hurricanes–Washington Capitals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 05:00 | WSH | Connor McMichael | Alex Ovechkin, Rasmus Sandin | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 13:43 | CAR | Nikolaj Ehlers | Logan Stankoven, Alexander Nikishin | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 11:32 | WSH | Nic Dowd | Rasmus Sandin, Connor McMichael | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 17:45 | CAR | Logan Stankoven | Nikolaj Ehlers, Jalen Chatfield | 5v6 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | CAR | Seth Jarvis | — | 0v1 | 2–2 |
Team Comparison
| Carolina Hurricanes | Washington Capitals | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 39 | 25 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.25 | 4.61 |
| High-danger shots | 17 | 14 |
| Corsi % | 63.4% | 36.6% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 65.2% | 34.8% |
| Hits | 29 | 21 |
| Blocks | 10 | 21 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 9 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 3 |
Carolina Hurricanes Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Stankoven | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16:54 | 0.65 | 2.00 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17:54 | 0.48 | 1.49 |
| Alexander Nikishin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:37 | 0.16 | 1.12 |
| Joel Nystrom | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:05 | 0.03 | 0.84 |
| K'Andre Miller | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:04 | 0.13 | 0.74 |
| Sebastian Aho | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:19 | 0.71 | 0.56 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:51 | 0.60 | 0.50 |
| Jackson Blake | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:24 | 0.10 | 0.35 |
| Seth Jarvis | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20:30 | 0.93 | 0.13 |
| Jordan Martinook | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13:26 | 0.06 | 0.13 |
| Jordan Staal | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:46 | 0.13 | 0.12 |
| Sean Walker | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:42 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| William Carrier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:21 | 0.24 | 0.01 |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:57 | 0.03 | -0.07 |
| Eric Robinson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:56 | 0.07 | -0.19 |
| Taylor Hall | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:31 | 0.35 | -0.34 |
| Mark Jankowski | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8:06 | 0.19 | -0.35 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:41 | 0.04 | -0.55 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 18:54 | 0.01 | 2.52 |
| Connor McMichael | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18:27 | 0.15 | 1.53 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:12 | 0.45 | 1.18 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:21 | 0.03 | 1.13 |
| Nic Dowd | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:33 | 0.08 | 0.59 |
| Aliaksei Protas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:05 | 0.44 | 0.36 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:58 | 0.00 | 0.32 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:01 | 0.82 | 0.16 |
| Justin Sourdif | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:38 | 0.79 | 0.12 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:52 | 0.72 | 0.06 |
| Brandon Duhaime | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:55 | 0.16 | 0.05 |
| Ethen Frank | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:43 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Tom Wilson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:29 | 0.06 | -0.09 |
| Sonny Milano | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6:09 | 0.58 | -0.12 |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25:27 | 0.06 | -0.22 |
| John Carlson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:47 | 0.14 | -0.58 |
| Martin Fehérváry | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:31 | 0.02 | -0.79 |
| Matt Roy | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:58 | 0.02 | -0.80 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Bussi | Carolina Hurricanes | 23 | 25 | 92.0% | 1.74 | W |
| Logan Thompson | Washington Capitals | 37 | 39 | 94.9% | 2.31 | O |
Analysis
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Dec 12, 2025, a one-goal game.
Washington Capitals generated 4.61 expected goals to Carolina Hurricanes's 4.25 — Washington Capitals owned the better of the chances but Carolina Hurricanes took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Rasmus Sandin led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.52 on 2 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Logan Thompson stopped 37 of 39, worth 2.31 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals game?
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 3–2 on Dec 12, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Carolina Hurricanes 3, Washington Capitals 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Rasmus Sandin led all skaters at 2.52, on 0G, 2A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Washington Capitals generated 4.61 expected goals and Carolina Hurricanes generated 4.25, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Carolina Hurricanes put 39 shots on goal and Washington Capitals put 25. High-danger chances went 17 to 14.
How did the goaltenders play?
Brandon Bussi stopped 23 of 25 (1.74 goals saved above expected); Logan Thompson stopped 37 of 39 (2.31 goals saved above expected).