Alex Tuch’s first night in a Capitals sweater started with nerves and ended with two goals, a 5-2 road win and a bench full of teammates joking that Washington had found a bargain. The 30-year-old winger struck twice in the opening 14:23 as the Capitals spoiled Carolina’s banner night Friday in Raleigh, beating the defending Stanley Cup champions in their building.
Tuch, acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a June 24 sign-and-trade, had signed an eight-year, $84 million deal before arriving in Washington. His $10.5 million annual cap hit did not look excessive after a debut in which he helped put Carolina in a three-goal hole before the first intermission.
“It gives us confidence, no doubt,” Tuch said. “It is a good test for us, but we need to demand more from ourselves. That was not close to our best game, and it certainly was not perfect.”
After the horn
Carolina had raised its 2026 Stanley Cup banner before the game, having opened the season with a 1-0 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Washington made sure the home celebration did not turn into a rebound victory.
The Capitals needed 6:33 to open the scoring. Alex Ovechkin dumped the puck behind the Carolina net, where goaltender Brandon Bussi mishandled it. Pierre-Luc Dubois got to the loose puck, fed Tuch in front, and Tuch deposited it into an open cage.
Washington rookie Ilya Protas created the second goal at 11:33, finding defenseman Cole Hutson at the inside edge of the left circle. Hutson beat Bussi on the glove side for his first NHL goal.
Tuch completed his first-period double at 14:23. Tom Wilson’s shot from above the left circle squeezed through Bussi, and Tuch swept the slowly moving puck across the line with his backhand.
“The first few shifts come with some nerves, so you try to play a simple game,” Tuch said. “That first goal was a relief, even if it was an empty net. On the second one, I saw it moving slowly and made sure it crossed.”
Tuch became just the second player in Capitals history to score more than once in the first period of his Washington debut. Brian Bellows was the first, scoring twice on March 28, 1998.
Coach Spencer Carbery said he heard the contract joke shortly after Tuch’s second goal.
“I cannot say who made the comment, but somebody on the bench said we got him at a discount,” Carbery said with a laugh. “A new player wants to start well with a new club, and that is exactly what Tucky did. He was outstanding and may have been the best player on the ice.”
The win supplied an early answer for a Capitals club that reshaped its roster after missing the playoffs last season. Washington also brought in Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues, signed Boone Jenner to a four-year, $23 million contract, and added defenseman Vincent Desharnais on a four-year, $16.8 million deal.
Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer with 929 career goals, returned on a one-year contract for his 22nd season. Washington is trying to build another contender around the captain after his 2018 Cup-winning run.
Carbery said the first meaningful look at the rebuilt group came with uncertainty despite the club’s confidence in its additions.
“You can like the roster and the moves you made, but until the game begins, you do not know exactly what the mix will look like,” Carbery said.
The Capitals received production throughout the lineup. Jakob Chychrun scored on the power play and added an assist, Ryan Leonard scored, and Dubois and Dylan Strome finished with two assists apiece.
Jenner’s impact was most visible without the puck. He went 13-4 in the faceoff circle and was a key piece of a Washington penalty kill that had to navigate six straight Carolina power plays spanning the second and third periods.
Logan Thompson gave the Capitals their backbone in net, turning aside 31 of 33 shots. He stopped 14 of 15 while Washington was shorthanded.
“That is what we expect from this group,” Thompson said. “We have four lines that can contribute, and the depth showed up. Opening against the Cup champions was a difficult assignment, but we stayed connected and worked through it.”
