Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals on Jan 31, 2026. Final score: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Washington Capitals 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 31, 2026 |
| Venue | Capital One Arena |
| Carolina Hurricanes score | 3 |
| Washington Capitals score | 4 |
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 | Aliaksei Protas | C | 0 | 2 | 3 | 19:15 | 0.73 | 2.38 |
| 2nd | John Carlson | D | 0 | 1 | 2 | 27:57 | 0.07 | 2.31 |
| 3rd | Tom Wilson | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21:24 | 0.04 | 1.67 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Carolina Hurricanes–Washington Capitals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 13:27 | CAR | Mark Jankowski | William Carrier, Jesperi Kotkaniemi | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 17:51 | CAR | Sebastian Aho | — | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 04:16 | CAR | Shayne Gostisbehere | Jordan Martinook, Jordan Staal | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 07:52 | WSH | Hendrix Lapierre | Sonny Milano | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 2nd 14:58 | WSH | Dylan Strome | Aliaksei Protas, Jakob Chychrun | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 13:18 | WSH | Jakob Chychrun | Aliaksei Protas, Tom Wilson | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| OT 01:42 | WSH | Justin Sourdif | John Carlson, Ethen Frank | 3v3 | 3–4 |
Team Comparison
| Carolina Hurricanes | Washington Capitals | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 42 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.76 | 5.67 |
| High-danger shots | 6 | 21 |
| Corsi % | 40.4% | 59.6% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 0/4 |
| Faceoff % | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Hits | 29 | 24 |
| Blocks | 18 | 10 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 18 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 2 |
Carolina Hurricanes Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Jankowski | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12:42 | 0.45 | 1.09 |
| Jesperi Kotkaniemi | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:26 | 0.11 | 1.02 |
| William Carrier | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11:04 | 0.01 | 0.98 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15:59 | 0.31 | 0.96 |
| Sebastian Aho | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:25 | 0.29 | 0.92 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:16 | 0.52 | 0.24 |
| Jordan Staal | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.01 | 0.11 |
| Jordan Martinook | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Logan Stankoven | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:37 | 0.12 | -0.03 |
| Seth Jarvis | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:48 | 0.33 | -0.12 |
| Sean Walker | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:10 | 0.19 | -0.20 |
| Alexander Nikishin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:14 | 0.05 | -0.22 |
| K'Andre Miller | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:43 | 0.07 | -0.23 |
| Jackson Blake | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:54 | 0.05 | -0.31 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:58 | 0.09 | -0.65 |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:09 | 0.04 | -0.69 |
| Taylor Hall | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:41 | 0.22 | -0.73 |
| Jaccob Slavin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:41 | 0.09 | -0.96 |
Washington Capitals Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliaksei Protas | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 19:15 | 0.73 | 2.38 |
| John Carlson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27:57 | 0.07 | 2.31 |
| Tom Wilson | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:24 | 0.04 | 1.67 |
| Justin Sourdif | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 18:40 | 1.10 | 1.52 |
| Jakob Chychrun | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 28:02 | 0.54 | 1.50 |
| Rasmus Sandin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:50 | 0.11 | 1.40 |
| Hendrix Lapierre | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6:13 | 0.69 | 1.06 |
| Dylan Strome | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:48 | 0.49 | 1.03 |
| Ethen Frank | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:47 | 0.13 | 0.91 |
| Sonny Milano | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8:29 | 0.07 | 0.87 |
| Brandon Duhaime | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:59 | 0.06 | 0.51 |
| Nic Dowd | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:13 | 0.31 | 0.35 |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:46 | 0.02 | 0.22 |
| Declan Chisholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:04 | 0.08 | -0.10 |
| Alex Ovechkin | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:25 | 0.30 | -0.13 |
| Ryan Leonard | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:41 | 0.32 | -0.23 |
| Anthony Beauvillier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:18 | 0.28 | -0.42 |
| Dylan McIlrath | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:15 | 0.07 | -0.44 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederik Andersen | Carolina Hurricanes | 38 | 42 | 90.5% | 1.22 | O |
| Clay Stevenson | Washington Capitals | 19 | 22 | 86.4% | -0.16 | W |
Analysis
The Washington Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4–3 on Jan 31, 2026, a one-goal game.
Washington Capitals generated 5.67 expected goals to Carolina Hurricanes's 2.76 — Washington Capitals edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Aliaksei Protas led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.38 on 2 assists, 3 shots on goal.
Frederik Andersen stopped 38 of 42, worth 1.22 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals game?
The Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4–3 on Jan 31, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Washington Capitals 4, Carolina Hurricanes 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Aliaksei Protas led all skaters at 2.38, on 0G, 2A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Washington Capitals generated 5.67 expected goals and Carolina Hurricanes generated 2.76, so Washington Capitals created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Carolina Hurricanes put 22 shots on goal and Washington Capitals put 42. High-danger chances went 6 to 21.
How did the goaltenders play?
Frederik Andersen stopped 38 of 42 (1.22 goals saved above expected); Clay Stevenson stopped 19 of 22 (-0.16 goals saved above expected).