Kuemper makes 28 saves, Capitals edge Hurricanes in shootout

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves for the Washington Capitals in a 2-1 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Sunday.

Martin Fehervary scored the game-tying goal, and Evgeny Kuznetsov got the only goal of the shootout for the Capitals (15-9-4), who had lost two in a row and five of their past seven (2-3-2).

“It’s a gritty win, it’s a character win,” Washington forward Tom Wilson said. “Obviously some adversity, but no excuses. We just found a way.”

Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes (16-12-3), who have lost two straight and six of eight (2-4-2). Pyotr Kochetkov made 20 saves.

“We knew coming in exactly how it was going to go,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They play tight, tight games, and I thought we stuck with our game plan really well. [We] hit a few goal posts. A couple inches here or there and it would have been a much different story.”

Aho gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 7:41 of the second period.Seth Jarvis gathered Trevor van Riemsdyk’s clearing attempt in the corner and fed Aho, who scored on a one-timer in the slot.

Fehervary tied it 1-1 at 11:33 with a snap shot past Kochetkov’s glove off a pass from Wilson in the slot.

“Sometimes it’s the option off the puck that’s the play, and ‘Marty’ kind of gave me no choice but to hit him in stride, and (he) made a great shot,” Wilson said. “Structurally, we’re playing well. It’s not always about winning 6-5 and 7-4. We're playing good, we feel good about our game. The goals will come. The ‘D’ did a good job tonight.”

The goal was Fehervary’s first of the season.

“I saw an opportunity to join the rush,” Fehervary said. “I was open. I don’t know if I yelled or he saw me. I got the puck and then I saw they were cutting off to [Alex Ovechkin]. I’m not surprised, so I just shot it and it went in.”

The Capitals’ penalty kill was 5-for-5, including on a double minor for high-sticking against Nic Dowd in the first period.

“I think for the team, it’s definitely a momentum builder,” Kuemper said. “The penalty kill has been giving us life all year. To get a big four-minute kill to start a game like that kind of sets the tone for everybody else.”

Carolina had gone 4-for-9 with the man-advantage in its three previous games.

“In this kind of game, a power-play goal would have been a game-changer,” Aho said. “I felt 5-on-5 we were fine. It wasn’t all bad, but scoring a power-play goal probably gives us an edge tonight.”

NOTES: Capitals forward T.J. Oshie was scratched with a lower-body injury. … With an assist, Washington forward Dylan Strome extended his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists). … Washington forward Alex Ovechkin had four shots on goal in 20:45. He has not scored a goal in his past 13 games, the longest drought of his career. … Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal had his face cut by Fehervary’s left skate in the second period, but he returned in the third period.