The Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series. The puck drops at 7:00PM ET on Thursday at Capital One Arena. Carolina leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can advance with one more win.
Washington is 4-1 at home during the playoffs, but they dropped Game 1 at home in overtime and lost both games in Carolina by a combined score of 9-2. The Capitals need three straight wins to move on. Carolina has never lost a series after leading 3-1 in franchise history.
CAPITALS Preview – Must Win to Stay Alive
Washington is coming off a 5-2 loss in Game 4. They scored two goals in the third period to cut the lead to one but gave up two more late. Alex Ovechkin scored his first goal of the series on a two-man advantage, showing signs of life for the offense.
Ovechkin did not practice before Game 5 but is expected to play. The team made a few line changes at practice, moving Connor McMichael back to center and mixing up the top lines. Anthony Beauvillier moved up to play with Dylan Strome, while Aliaksei Protas dropped to the second line.
The Capitals have struggled to generate consistent scoring chances. They have been outshot in each game and are losing the special teams battle. Washington must find a way to slow Carolina’s pace and make it a more physical, slower game to have a shot at extending the series.
HURRICANES Preview – One Win from Moving On
Carolina enters Game 5 looking to close out the series. The Hurricanes won both home games by a wide margin and have outscored Washington 13-6 across the four games. Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov lead a veteran core that has been in this position before.
The Hurricanes have also gotten help from new faces. Rookie Jackson Blake has five points in nine playoff games, and Logan Stankhoven has added five points in this series after arriving from Dallas. Eight different Hurricanes have at least five points in the postseason.
Carolina’s defense has been strong all series. They’ve limited Ovechkin’s chances and forced the Capitals to the outside. With depth on all four lines and strong goaltending, they are set up well to advance. The Hurricanes have been steady in the third period, outscoring Washington 5-1 in the final 10 minutes of games.
Betting Prediction
Carolina enters this game as a moderate road favorite with the moneyline near -160. The total is set at 5.5. The Hurricanes have won three of four and have covered puck lines in their last two. Washington has been solid at home but looked overmatched in the last two games.
If the Capitals can’t control the tempo early, Carolina will take advantage again. Look for the Hurricanes to keep up their balanced attack and wear down Washington’s defense. Carolina should win and cover, while the total leans slightly under based on how games have ended late.
Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (+165)
