The Washington Capitals fell 2-1 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals. As the Capitals find themselves down in a series for the first time in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, head coach Spencer Carbery didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts about Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the squad’s performance.
The Capitals failed to assert themselves at home in the opening game of their Second Round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Hurricanes. With a long battle expected between these Metropolitan Division powerhouses, neither the fans nor the players should hang their heads after Washington’s early setback.
Regardless, the performance at Capital One Arena was far from ideal and not what the home crowd had envisioned for such a pivotal game to set the tone early in the series.
Ovechkin was concerningly quiet in Game 1 against the Hurricanes, a team that thrives on the defensive side of the puck. The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer managed just one shot on goal—the fewest he’s registered in a playoff game this year, and his lowest mark since March 13, when he failed to put a single puck on net.
Carbery didn’t mince words postgame, delivering a stern four-word message to the team—including Ovechkin, who will need to be a bigger factor if the Capitals hope to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“It wasn’t good,” Spencer Carbery stated postgame, via NHL.com. “That’s the bottom line. Our entire game was not good. We’ll regroup and get ready for Game 2.”
Out-paced
The Hurricanes played shot out of a cannon during Game 1, and the Capitals had no answers for them, despite jumping to a 1-0 lead in the second period thanks to a wicked wrist shot from Aliaksei Protas.
However, Carolina eventually capitalized on Washington’s struggles, taking advantage of a botched zone exit to tie the game midway through the final period. The stat sheet reflected the Hurricanes’ dominance, but it wasn’t until overtime that Jaccob Slavin fired one in from the blue line, sealing a 1-0 series lead on the road.
Tough admission
It was a one-goal game decided in sudden-death overtime—a fortunate bounce could’ve tilted it in Washington’s favor. Still, the Capitals didn’t shy away from acknowledging their struggles after the game.
“They were pressuring us all over the ice,” Capitals’ DylanStrome admitted. “We’ve got to find a way to break it. I felt like we didn’t play our style of hockey tonight. We kind of let them dictate the game, and they’re a good team when you let them do that.”
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The Capitals will need to turn the page quickly—there’s no time to dwell on the loss. Game 2 is set for May 8, when Washington and Carolina face off once again. The Caps must avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole, while the Hurricanes look to tighten their grip with a commanding two-game lead before the series shifts to Raleigh.