2023 NHL Stadium Series live updates: Hurricanes vs Capitals at Carter Finley Stadium
It’s here.
The 2023 Stadium Series outdoor hockey game at N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium, an NHL spectacle years in the making for the Triangle, is upon us.
Thousands of people heeded the warnings and arrived early, tailgating the afternoon away in anticipation of the 8 p.m. contest. Thousands more did not, and traffic snarled the limited access roads to the stadium.
As we get ready for the game, and then during the game itself, keep refreshing here for the latest updates from Carter-Finley.
Third period
The Hurricanes didn’t score again in the third period. Washington did, getting a goal from Tom Wilson about halfway through the frame. But it wasn’t enough as the Canes earned a 4-1 win over the Caps at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Second period
As solid as the Hurricanes looked in the opening period, their advantage was clear in the second. The Canes got the puck past Caps goalie Darcy Kuemper three times in the middle frame, one each from Peter Stastny, Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen.
We even had a goalie assist, as Frederik Andersen had the helped on the last goal of the period, a beautiful tic-tac finish from Teravainen on a 2-on-1 with Necas.
Brent Burns and Jesperi Kotkaniemi had assists on Necas’ goal, and Jalen Chatfield and Jordan Martinook had helpers on ther Stastny strike.
We also had a fight in the second period. After getting cross-checked in the head, Martinook had enough of Anthony Mantha’s antics and dropped with him. Mantha got the extra two minutes for the initial penalty.
First period
Not long into the first period, Jesperi Kotkaniemi gave the heavily partisan Canes crowd something to cheer about, steering the puck into the net past Capitals keeper Darcy Kuemper.
The Canes had the better of the pressure in the opening period, often pressuring the Caps in their own zone, though a few lapses did force Frederik Andersen to make some tough, scrambling saves.
The Canes managed 10 shots in the opening period, to 7 for the Capitals.
Pregame
8:10 p.m.: The Caps emerge from their tunnel, to a mixed chorus of mostly boos. The Canes then emerge from theirs, as the stadium lights dim and tint red. The teams line up for the pregame presentation in front of the rink.
8 p.m.: The officials have taken the ice, along with members of a veterans’ hockey group, waiting to unfurl the flag for the anthem.
7:15 p.m.: The number of fans still trying to get into the stadium with about an hour before puck drop is staggering. Despite many, many warnings for fans to arrive early — and many did — the late-arriving crowd appears out in force. There is no immediate word whether the game will be delayed at all to allow as many people to enter the stadium as possible, but with a high-profile TV time slot, that is unlikely at this point.
6:45 p.m. The players are in the building, and they arrived in style. This update from Luke DeCock takes you through the players’ arrival, Derek Stepan’s history in outdoor games, and how the team needed to regain its focus.
6 p.m.: The gates have opened to the general public. All open gates at Carter-Finley have started to allow fans to enter the building. Some are sprinting to their seats, others making a beeline to the merchandise tents, and many finding the concession stands. It will be a slow trickle of fans to get into the stadium over the next two hours, culminating in an official sellout.
4:45 p.m.: Those sounds blasting from the stadium are not from a concert the public is missing. Intermission performer Jake Owen was running through part of his set as a sound check on the stage beyond the hockey goal on the east side of the rink.
3 p.m.: Hot dogs and burgers are sizzling and the fans are in full tailgate mode as cars continue to stream into the lots surrounding Carter-Finley Stadium. On a bluebird day, with temps and conditions ripe for football-style tailgating, people were ready to partake.
