RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals, including the winner with 6:04 left in the third period, to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won six straight. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov made 20 saves and improved to 4-0-0 this season.
Boone Jenner and Justin Holl scored for Washington. Ryan Leonard added two assists and Logan Thompson stopped 31 shots.
Svechnikov beat Thompson with a backhander six seconds after Justin Sourdif went to the penalty box for tripping. The Hurricanes finished 1 for 5 on the power play.
It was the last scheduled visit to Raleigh for Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who received a standing ovation early in the first period.
The Lenovo Center has been a home away from home for the 41-year-old Russian, who is set to retire after this season. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL draft held in Raleigh and his 59 career points in 49 regular-season games are the most he has recorded at any NHL venue other than Capital One Arena in Washington.
The Hurricanes, who were without captain Jordan Staal, were able to keep Ovechkin in check on Tuesday but Jenner remained hot. One of Washington’s top free-agent signings in the offseason, Jenner has scored in three straight games. He gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 9:26 in the first period.
Svechnikov, who has six goals in the past five games, tied the game at 1-1 by poking in a rebound of William Carrier's shot 3:58 into the second period.
Holl’s shot from the right circle with 6:39 left in the second period gave Washington a 2-1 lead.
Carolina tied it at 2 with 1:11 left in the second when Robinson’s pass deflected off of Martin Fehervary’s stick past Thompson.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Hurricanes announced that Staal would miss at least a month with a calf injury. Coach Rod Brind’Amour said that the 38-year-old center got hurt in warmups before Sunday’s 4-1 win at Philadelphia.
Capitals: Host Montreal on Wednesday.
Hurricanes: Begin a five-game road trip at Winnipeg on Saturday.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin watches the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
ATLANTA (AP) — Witnesses watched in horror as a man riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was ejected from his seat, almost seeming to hover above the car before hitting several people and falling to his death.
The nightmarish death prompted Six Flags to temporarily close nine similar coasters across North America.
Police and a state agency that oversees ride inspections are investigating, but many questions remained Tuesday, including how the man fell out and whether there were problems with his restraints.
The man, a school employee from Atlanta, was killed Monday while riding Goliath, the park's tallest roller coaster with a first hill of 200 feet (61 meters).
“It looked like he was hovering because the car was moving underneath him,” said Nick Mendenhall, who had just ridden Goliath with his son and was watching the coaster cars passing overhead.
The man fell headfirst back into the coaster, Mendenhall said, then was ejected from the ride on its final turn.
“It felt like slow-motion, but it happened in an instant,” Mendenhall said. “I was just praying in those moments. I was praying: ‘God, please let him stay in that car.’”
Goliath towers above the entrance at Six Flags Over Georgia just outside Atlanta with a series of hills and turns. It doesn't take riders upside down. There are no seat belts. Instead, riders are restrained with lap bars that pull down over their legs and waist.
In a theme park industry that it is constantly introducing new thrills, it's far from the world’s tallest, fastest or wildest coaster.
The man who died was 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, according to Cobb County police. Investigators and park employees told investigators that he was thrown from the coaster before striking other patrons.
Officials have not released any other information about the people who were hurt.
Kariem worked as the information technology manager at a public charter school and before that was a technology teacher.
In a statement, the Wesley International Academy said it was devastated, saying Kariem's “dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did.”
Summer Bates, who was at the park with her husband and three children, saw Kariem fall. “One thing I think that will stick with us is the sound of his body coming down," she said.
Bates said she and her family rode Goliath earlier in the day.
“My older two children rode on the cart ahead of us,” she said. “I noticed they kept trying to push theirs down tighter. I assured them that they were OK. But once my husband, youngest child and I loaded our cart and headed up the incline, I quickly understood why my older two were messing with theirs. It just didn’t feel secure and tight.”
In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government. That responsibility falls to states.
Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections, is “conducting an in‑depth and comprehensive review,” of what happened, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.
In California, the state approves new rides and ones that have been modified and either directly inspects them or relies on an annual inspection by the owner. Florida’s largest theme parks are exempt from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs. Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly introduced legislation to change the federal law that allows U.S. safety officials to regulate mobile rides but exempts major amusement parks.
Opponents of federal oversight say serious injuries and fatalities on amusement park rides are rare and often the result of riders not following rules.
Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group, said the industry has multiple layers of inspection.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. temporarily shut down roller coasters at six of its theme parks in the U.S. and Canada. The parks were already scheduled for seasonal midweek closures on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Those rides include a second coaster named Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California; Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina; and the rides Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Canada.
The company did not say why those specific rides were shut down or what would be done before they reopen.
Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss company that manufactured the coaster and many others worldwide, said it is actively investigating and won't comment “until we have a better understanding of what happened.”
“Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” it said.
Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia; McCormack from Concord, New Hampshire; and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; Michael Biesecker in Pittsburgh; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.
FILE - This aerial view shows the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien) Correction changes location to outside Atlanta.
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Attractions are seen near Interstate-20 at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 in Austell, Ga. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)
A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 in Austell, Ga. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)
