Capitals, Hurricanes, Panthers Advance To Second Round

Three Eastern Conference teams punched their tickets to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals each won their respective series 4–1, and only Florida awaits its next opponent.

Carolina was the first team to advance to the second round. The Hurricanes faced the New Jersey Devils, who were without star player Jack Hughes after shoulder surgery ended his season in March.

Carolina took advantage of home ice, jumping out to a 2–0 series lead before heading to New Jersey. Goaltender Frederik Andersen played lights-out for the Canes, stopping 48 of 50 shots through the first two games.

New Jersey took Game 3, 3–2 in double overtime, when rookie defenseman Simon Nemec split through the defense and beat Andersen on the blocker side for the win. Carolina answered back with five goals in Game 4 to take a 3–1 series lead, setting up a potential series-clinching win back home in Game 5.

Andersen went down with an injury in Game 4, so backup Pyotr Kochetkov got the start in Game 5. New Jersey came out firing, scoring three goals in the first ten minutes of the opening period, but Carolina responded with three unanswered goals in the second to tie the game.

Nico Hischier of the Devils and Sebastian Aho of the Hurricanes each scored, sending the game to the third period tied at 4–4. A scoreless third led to overtime in Game 5. Carolina dominated the first OT, outshooting the Devils 14–3, but Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom stood tall and extended the game to double overtime.

A double-minor high-sticking penalty on Dawson Mercer to start double OT gave Carolina a golden opportunity to close out the series. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere set up Sebastian Aho at the top of the left faceoff circle, and Aho fired home the series winner through Markstrom’s five-hole.

The Washington Capitals closed out their series with the Canadiens with a 4–1 win on home ice. The Caps opened the series with a 3–2 overtime win, with the game-winner coming from Alex Ovechkin—his first playoff overtime goal in 156 career postseason games.

The Capitals took Game 2 by a score of 3–1, building a 2–0 series lead. Montreal fed off the electric crowd at the Bell Centre in Game 3, scoring five goals on Logan Thompson and one on Charlie Lindgren in a 6–3 win.

A third-period collapse by Montreal in Game 4, capped off by four Washington goals, gave the Caps a 3–1 series lead heading back to the nation’s capital.

Two power-play goals and an even-strength tally by Jakob Chychrun gave the Capitals a commanding 3–0 lead heading into the second period of Game 5. Montreal pulled one back with a goal from forward Emil Heineman, but Brandon Duhaime’s empty-netter was the dagger. The Caps went on to win the game—and the series—4–1.

After a mediocre regular season, the Florida Panthers reminded everyone they were built for playoff hockey. A 4–1 series win over their rival Tampa Bay Lightning put them back in the driver’s seat and one step closer to a third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance.

Game 1 was all Florida, as the Cats dismantled goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning 6–2. Sergei Bobrovsky took over Game 2, posting a 19-save shutout for a 2–0 win and a 2–0 series lead.

Tampa grabbed a road win of their own in Game 3, as five different goal-scorers beat Bobrovsky in a 5–1 victory. Game 4 was tighter, with the Lightning taking a 2–1 lead into the third period thanks to goals from Mitchell Chaffee and Eric Cernak.

Florida’s blue line stepped up in the final frame, as goals from Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones gave the Cats a 3–2 lead with four minutes left. An empty-net goal from Carter Verhaeghe sealed it, giving Florida a 3–1 series edge heading back to Tampa Bay.

Mirroring Game 1, Florida’s offense was firing on all cylinders in Game 5, with six different players scoring on Vasilevskiy. A 6–2 win closed out the series for the Cats, who advanced to the second round, where they await the winner of the Toronto/Ottawa series.

Not only did this mark the third straight year Tampa Bay was bounced in the first round, but it also marked three years since their star player, Nikita Kucherov, last scored a playoff goal. His most recent came on April 18, 2023, against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1.