The Washington Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-1 loss in Game 5 of their best-of-7 Eastern Conference Second Round series. The Hurricanes, who outshot the Capitals 116-76 at 5-on-5 and had a significant advantage in shot attempts, dominated the series.
The Capitals’ struggles began in the defensive zone, where they struggled to execute clean breakouts consistently against the Hurricanes’ forecheck. This led to sustained shifts in the defensive zone and goals against, including one goal scored by Shayne Gostisbehere in Game 4.
Washington’s offense also struggled, managing only seven goals in five games after scoring 3.49 goals per game during the regular season. The Hurricanes outscored them 31-7 on high-danger shots, with Svechnikov and Andersen contributing to their success.
The Hurricanes’ power play also proved effective, going 3-for-13 in the series, while the Capitals were 2-for-15. Additionally, Carolina’s depth was evident, with 11 different players scoring goals and 16 players getting at least one point in the series.
Key statistics include:
* Hurricanes: outshot Capitals 116-76 at 5-on-5
* Washington’s high-danger shot percentage: .294 (7/31)
* Andersen’s save percentage: .937 on all shots, .923 on high-danger shots
The loss marks the end of the Capitals’ postseason run, which began with a historic playoff berth secured on March 20. Despite their success this season, they fell short against a deep and determined Hurricanes team.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/why-washington-capitals-were-eliminated-from-2025-playoffs