Outdoor hockey in the South? Hurricanes top Capitals 4-1, at North Carolina State’s football stadium

 Martin Necas had a objective and two assists to assist the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 4-1 on Saturday evening in their first NHL Stadium Series outside recreation.

Temperatures hit the 70s for a number of days earlier in the week, whereas rain arrived to delay Friday’s practices, however situations had been optimum Saturday: clear and chilly all day, with temperatures dipping into the low 40s by the puck drop and excessive 30s by the remaining horn. 

After being delayed two years due to COVID-19 attendance restrictions, the recreation drew a buzzing sellout crowd of 56,961 followers. 

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Paul Stastny and Teuvo Teravainen additionally scored for Carolina, which accomplished a three-game season sweep of their Metropolitan Division foe.

The recreation was held at Carter-Finley Stadium, residence to North Carolina State´s faculty football group and throughout the road from Carolina´s residence ice at PNC Arena. 

Fans maintain lighted cellphones as the lights are dimmed earlier than an NHL hockey Stadium Series recreation between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes’ Teuvo Teravainen (86) shoots the puck previous Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper

Tom Wilson scored halfway by the third interval for the Capitals, who suffered their fourth straight loss. The previous three have come with out captain and main goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin, who’s away after the dying of his father.

Carolina completed with a tenth win in 11 video games. And this one had the added significance that got here with the long-awaited outside recreation – the newest likelihood for the league to hold one of its marquee events in a so-called ‘nontraditional’ market within its southern footprint.

The Hurricanes gave their festive crowd loads of causes to remain rowdy, beginning with Kotkaniemi´s end in shut barely 2 minutes into the recreation. 

Then Carolina scored three targets in a 5 1/2-minute span of the second interval to blow this one open, highlighted by Necas hammering a one-timer on the energy play from the left facet previous Darcy Kuemper.

The flurry included Hurricane goaltender Frederik Andersen tallying an help. On an evening when he completed with 24 saves, Andersen earned a degree when he lofted an extended cross to Teravainen to ignite a 2-on-1 likelihood, with Teravainen passing to Necas, who drew Kuemper to his facet and despatched it again to Teravainen for the straightforward putaway and a 4-0 lead.

Hurricanes’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi is congratulated for his objective towards the Washington Capitals

Hurricanes’ Paul Stastny, left, celebrates his objective with Jalen Chatfield, proper, and Derek Stepan 

The groups adopted outdoor-game custom by arriving in coordinated and themed apparel, from a comfortable afternoon on the links to a throwback to glory days on the high school gridiron.

The Hurricanes walked from PNC Arena in old-timey plaid golf knickers, matching hats and a black top over a white collared shirt with crimson tie. 

Defensemen Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin had been amongst these to finish the look by carrying a golf membership.

The Capitals exited a college bus sporting blue denims, a white T-shirt, customized lettermen-styled jackets, knitted caps and toting footballs.