WASHINGTON – NHL PLAYOFFS – The long wait is over in D.C. The Washington Capitals punched their ticket to the second round for the first time since their 2018 Stanley Cup run, downing the Montreal Canadiens 4–1 in front of a buzzing crowd at Capital One Arena on Wednesday night.
Sure, the handshakes were calm, the celebration measured—but make no mistake: this one meant something.
“It’s obviously a good start,” said Dylan Strome, who had two assists in Game 5 and led the Caps with nine points in the series. “We’ve got bigger goals, but this was a necessary first step.”
First Period Flurry Sets the Tone
If the Capitals were feeling pressure, they didn’t show it early. After being outshot 8-1 to open the game, the script flipped in a flash. Alex Ovechkin, ever the playoff warrior, ripped a power-play one-timer to open the scoring at 9:12—his fourth of the series and a reminder that even at 39, he’s still one of the game’s most dangerous weapons.
Minutes later, Jakob Chychrun doubled the lead after a slick setup from Pierre-Luc Dubois, one of the many new faces fueling Washington’s turnaround from last year’s first-round sweep.
“We were tight,” coach Spencer Carbery admitted. “But once we settled in, we started to look like the team we’ve been building toward.”
Veterans and Newcomers Blend into a Winning Formula
This isn’t the same Capitals team that hoisted the Cup seven years ago. Only Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Lars Eller, and John Carlson remain from that group. But what’s emerged in their place is a balanced, battle-tested roster that blends youth, experience, and hunger.
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Logan Thompson (28 saves) capped off a strong series in net.
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Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, and Brandon Duhaime all chipped in critical goals across the series.
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Wilson was everywhere—physical, clutch, and loud, finishing with five points and 19 hits.
“This group’s got a different kind of energy,” Wilson said. “A lot of new pieces came in and clicked right away. That’s what makes this feel like more than just one win.”
Ovechkin’s resurgence has also been pivotal. After being held pointless in last year’s sweep, he roared back with five points in five games this time around.
“This means more than the record,” Carbery said of Ovechkin’s playoff fire. “You watch the way he’s elevated—it’s incredible. He’s rewriting what 39 should look like in this league.”
Canadiens Fought, But Capitals Were Too Much
Give credit to Montreal—they pushed Washington harder than the 4-1 series score suggests. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky tested the Caps’ depth, and Nathan Carrier and Jordan Binnington gave the Habs a fighting chance.
But Game 5 was Washington’s, wire to wire. Even as Montreal pressed in the third, it was Duhaime, a grinder turned goal-scorer, who sealed it with an empty-netter with 26 seconds left.
“The guys were dialed in,” Ovechkin said. “Now we keep going.”
🏒 Next Up: Round Two vs. the Hurricanes
The Capitals now shift their focus to the Carolina Hurricanes, a team with speed, depth, and postseason pedigree of their own. But for the Caps, this win was about clearing a mental hurdle—and proving to themselves, and the league, that they’re not done yet.
“We’re not satisfied,” Strome said. “We want more. And we’re ready for what’s next.”
