Washington at Carolina

Carolina opened its title defense on Tuesday with a 1-0 overtime loss to Florida, managing 15 shots and going 0-for-6 on the power play. One game says little next to a full season. The Hurricanes won 53 games last year and scored 296 goals, the second-most in the league. Their plus-56 goal differential was third-best, and they went 29-10-2 at home. Washington went 18-19-4 on the road, and tonight is its first game of the season with a lineup it reworked this summer. Carolina lost goalie Frederik Andersen to Edmonton in free agency and will be without Seth Jarvis after shoulder surgery, so this is not the exact group that won the Cup. It still holds an 18-point edge over Washington in last season's standings and a 37-goal differential edge. Logan Thompson posted a .912 save percentage and made the league's second all-star team, which makes Washington a real opponent, but his numbers are already inside that plus-19. Carolina is the right side tonight.