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Capitals, Hurricanes Meeting Turns Into Fight Night

A recent contest between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals transformed from a hockey game into fight night.

Jacob Punturi

Mar 28, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith (7) fight during the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith (7) fight during the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images
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The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Washington Capitals, but the final score is the least of both teams' concerns. The Metropolitan Division rivals came to blows in the third period of their meeting, and the game quickly descended into chaos.

The final seven minutes of the Capitals and Hurricanes game resulted in a ridiculous 114 penalty minutes combined. The fireworks began to pop off when Caps forward Nick Dowd and Canes forward Mark Jankowski tied up in the neutral zone. A scrum broke out while officials tried to separate everybody.

While Jankowski and Dowd were escorted to the penalty box, Brandon Duhaime of Washington and Tyson Jost of Carolina began trading punches. They didn't stop even after they hit the ice, as officials were trying to keep each of them from landing any more blows.

On the ensuing play, fisticuffs emerged again. Hurricanes defenseman and Capitals scorer Connor McMichael dropped the gloves, but each failed to land a punishing shot. Chatfield then rag-dolled McMichael down to the ice in a move that somewhat resembled a wrestling takedown, as Bleacher Report noted on their X account. McMichael appeared to hit his head while going down to the ice, and both were removed from the game after the fight was broken up.

After tempers cooled and multiple game misconducts were handed out, each bench looked like a recreational team. Both the Caps and Canes had four players sent off the ice after game misconducts, and the benches were much shorter for the final five minutes of game play.

The fight night sets the stage for one more regular season meeting between these two teams. The Canes travel to Washington D.C. for their final matchup before the postseason. After that, the next time these two teams could meet would be in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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