Capitals vs. Hurricanes Recap: Thompson's 31 Saves, Over 4.5 Cash

The Capitals won 5-2 on Friday night, and the game was mostly settled in the first 20 minutes. Washington scored three times in the 1st period, added a power-play goal early in the 2nd and led 5-1 after two. Carolina outshot Washington 33-27 and drew six power plays, but Logan Thompson turned aside 31 of 33 shots. Brandon Bussi made 22 saves on 27 shots at the other end. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Over 4.5 total goals (alt): CASHED - Our read: The main total sat at 6.5, and both teams scored a lot last season: 296 goals for Carolina on its way to the Cup and 263 for Washington. The alt line at 4.5 gave us a cushion under that main number. - What happened: Seven goals went in, so the over cleared 4.5 by 2.5. The fifth goal came 16:50 into the 2nd, when Sebastian Aho scored on the power play, and that was the one that cashed it. Logan Stankoven added one more for Carolina at 10:50 of the 3rd. - Worth watching: Both of these teams can score, so alt overs in their games are worth a look. The price on an alt line is the whole question, so check it against the main total before you play it.

Brandon Bussi under 23.5 saves (-125 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Carolina allowed a league-low 23.9 shots per game last season, and Bussi averaged 20.9 saves a start. Washington generated 28.0 shots a game. This was a longer shot that landed. - What happened: Bussi finished with 22 saves on 27 shots and allowed 5 goals, a .815 save percentage over 60:00. That came in 1.5 under the line. Washington put 27 shots on goal, close to its 28.0 average from last season, and the goals that got past him kept the save count down. - Worth watching: Carolina's shot suppression is the reason to look at this under again. Note how it cashed, though: five of Washington's 27 shots went in. On a night where Bussi stops more of them, 27 shots puts this line in play.

Logan Thompson over 25.5 saves (-175 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Carolina was 2nd in the NHL with 32.2 shots per game last season, and Thompson averaged 24.9 saves a start. He was confirmed to start Washington's season opener in Raleigh. - What happened: Thompson made 31 saves on 33 shots, a .939 save percentage in 59:53. That cleared 25.5 by 5.5. - Worth watching: A goalie facing Carolina's shot volume is a strong angle for saves overs. The catch is the price: -175 is expensive, so shop it and pass if it climbs much higher.

How the game played out

Alex Tuch scored twice in the 1st, at 6:33 and 14:23, and Pierre-Luc Dubois assisted on both. Cole Hutson scored in between at 11:33 for a 3-0 lead. Jakob Chychrun made it 4-0 on the power play 1:36 into the 2nd, set up by Dylan Strome. Aho answered on the power play at 16:50 of the 2nd, but Ryan Leonard scored 8 seconds later at 16:58 to restore the four-goal lead.

Trends to watch

• Carolina leaned on its power play units. Jackson Blake logged 9:05 of power-play time, Andrei Svechnikov 7:35 and Aho 7:30. Svechnikov led Carolina with 6 shots on goal.
• Washington had 28 blocked shots to Carolina's 9. That helped keep Carolina to 33 shots on goal despite all the time on the power play.
• Dylan Strome had two assists in 13:11, including the power-play setup for Chychrun. Watch how Washington uses him on the man advantage.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More hockey on our NHL page and in all NHL recaps. New to these markets? Read up on the alt line and the player prop.