The Washington Capitals faced a must-win scenario against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 on May 15 to keep their playoff hopes alive, but they fell short Thursday night.
Although Washington briefly pulled ahead in the second period, Matt Roy’s goal was overturned due to an offsides call on Connor McMichael, keeping the game tied at 1-1 going into the third.
Carolina eventually broke the deadlock with just under two minutes left in regulation and sealed the game with an empty-net goal, earning a 3-1 victory. The Hurricanes, under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, are heading to their third Eastern Conference Final in seven years, where they’ll take on either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Florida Panthers.
Meanwhile, the Capitals haven’t advanced beyond the Second Round since their 2018 Stanley Cup run. Expectations were higher this season, especially after Washington finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Still, in 16 playoff appearances with Alex Ovechkin, the team has made it past the Second Round only once.
“It’s tough, obviously,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a special group… Luck wasn’t on our side. I don’t think we played bad hockey. We had a lot of chances to take the lead, but it just didn’t happen. It’s hard, but this year’s experience will definitely help us in the future.”
Ovechkin, entering the final season of his five-year, \$47.5 million contract in 2025-26, confirmed he’ll return for at least one more season.
“I’m not retiring,” he told Pat McAfee last month. “I’ve got one more year, and we’ll see what happens. I love being with the boys, and as long as I can, I’ll keep going and throw my great body out there in the NHL.”
