The Hurricanes will go to Washington for Game 5 on Thursday with a chance to close out the second-round Stanley Cup playoff series, but expect to see Capitals’ best.

The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs has passed the midway point, with all but one series through Game 4. What have been the biggest lessons learned through the first part of the second round?

The Washington Capitals face the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the second-round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The game will be broadcast at 6 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV. If you don’t have cable, here’s how you can watch the game.

Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time goal scorer and a superstar, but Tom Wilson has become Washington’s best player. Carolina has neutralized him during these playoffs, too.

As much as the Hurricanes won Game 4, the Capitals lost it with a lack of execution at too many key times. Like in Game 3, they had chances in the first 10 minutes to seize control of the game. They couldn't finish.

The Washington Capitals entered the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the top teams in the NHL. With a 51-22-9 record, the Capitals finished atop the Eastern

The Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers are one win away from advancing to the conference final, thanks to Game 4 victories.