{"id":10839,"date":"2025-05-03T20:28:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T20:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/10839\/"},"modified":"2025-05-03T20:28:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T20:28:21","slug":"3-keys-to-the-hurricanes-defeating-the-capitals-in-round-2-the-hockey-writers-carolina-hurricanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/10839\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Keys to the Hurricanes Defeating the Capitals in Round 2 – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the Carolina Hurricanes wait for the rest of the Round 2 schedule against the Washington Capitals, we at least know when Game 1 is, somewhat. Game 1 of Round 2 will be on Tuesday, May 6<\/a>, in Washington, D.C., for the 2019 playoff rematch between the two sides. Outside of that, the only other thing of note is that the series will be exclusively on ESPN in the United States. More information will be provided within the next few days for the rest of the series. In terms of the regular season, the Hurricanes went 2-1-1<\/a> against the Capitals, outscoring them 14-10. Both of the wins came at home for the Hurricanes, so they\u2019ll be looking to win on the road once again as they look to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Before the series begins on Tuesday, what are the 3 Keys for the Hurricanes to defeat the Capitals in Round 2?<\/p>\n

Key #1: Continue Red Hot Special Teams<\/p>\n

One of the main storylines for the Hurricanes coming into the 2025 NHL Playoffs was how their special teams would do. They finished the regular season first on the penalty kill at 84.1%, but were 25th on the power play (18.6%). During their first-round matchup against the New Jersey Devils, it was clearly not a concern, as they dominated in the special-teams department. The Hurricanes were the only team to go a perfect 100% on the penalty kill<\/a> (15-for-15). They even ended up finishing with a net penalty kill of 106.7% because of Jordan Martinook scoring a shorthanded goal in Game 2. It was a foregone conclusion that the Hurricanes would have the penalty kill locked in going into the playoffs, but how would the power play be?<\/p>\n

Related: Carolina Hurricanes\u2019 3 Stars of April<\/a><\/p>\n

Well, how about a crisp 6-for-19<\/a> (31.6%) on the power play after five games in the playoffs? The Hurricanes turned out to be the fifth-best power-play unit, as of now, with two game sevens left, in their Round 1 matchup against the Devils. Sebastian Aho<\/a> led the way for Carolina with three of the six<\/a> alone. He scored two of his three power-play goals in the Game 5 double overtime win, with the second being the game-winning tally. The other scorers were Andrei Svechnikov<\/a>, Seth Jarvis, and Logan Stankoven.<\/p>\n

If the Hurricanes can manage to score at least two power-play goals in the series, they have a chance to steal a game or two, however long this second round goes. It just comes down to sticking to moving the puck around and the players moving around as well. As long as they keep the movement going and do not become stationary, they can keep the Capitals on their heels. The Capitals had a 66.7% penalty kill (13th) in Round 1, so that is something the Hurricanes can take advantage of when they are on the man-advantage. On the flip side, Washington did have the 10th-ranked power play, with them going 23.1% against the Montreal Canadiens. As long as Carolina can do what they did to the Devils (not sure if they can go 100% again), but if they limit Alexander Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and others, they are in good shape overall.<\/p>\n

If the Hurricanes can continue the amazing start on the special teams in Round 2 versus the Capitals, they could end this series earlier than expected.<\/p>\n

Key #2: Depth Scoring Keeps Rolling<\/p>\n

Out of the 19 players who skated in Round 1 for the Hurricanes, only three did not put up a point. However, Jordan Staal, William Carrier, and Sean Walker should have gotten at least two in the series. Regardless, all three of those guys had an impact in the series off the scoresheet, which is what head coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour preaches a ton. If guys are just as effective off the scoresheet as on and do their job, that is just as important. Overall, the Hurricanes\u2019 depth once again showed why they are one of the deepest teams in the playoffs. Aho led the way with eight points and five assists, with two key points coming in Game 5. Svechnikov\u2019s Game 4 hat trick helped him get to the top three in goals for the playoffs with five total. Jarvis, being the all-around team player, had himself a five-point output for the Hurricanes. <\/p>\n

\"2025Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals (The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

The guys who really stood out were Jackson Blake<\/a>, Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, and Stankoven. In Blake\u2019s first playoffs, he tallied one goal and four points, with his first-ever playoff goal coming in the Game 5 comeback win. He averaged 20:05 of ice time<\/a> for the Hurricanes and had an 8.2% shooting percentage (S%) in the five games. Furthermore, he even had a plus-2 rating in the series. For someone who\u2019s playing in his first-ever postseason in the NHL, Blake has been holding his own and playing some sensational hockey as a rookie.<\/p>\n

Martinook once again just put points on the board against the Devils. It was not the 2023 Round 2 10-point performance, but he had some key moments in Round 1. He scored a shorthanded goal in Game 2, which sent the Lenovo Center into a frenzy. He finished Round 1 with a goal and three points in the five games. Whenever these two meet, expect him to make an impact. Slavin had a masterclass goal in Game 4 to get the Hurricanes up two goals and was the rock on the defense that he always is. If the Hurricanes are getting depth scoring from the best defensive defenseman in the NHL, you know they are locked in. In his first playoffs with the Hurricanes, Stankoven made his presence known after scoring two goals, one on the power play, in Game 1, a 4-1 win. He finished with two goals and three points in five games.<\/p>\n

Many others had huge impacts in the first round for the Hurricanes, and if the depth scoring up and down the lineup keeps going, it could overwhelm the Capitals. A Brind\u2019Amour-led Hurricanes team can roll four lines and three defensive pairs all game long. Furthermore, their relentless forechecking, strong backchecking, and transition game can wear teams down, and that could be hard for the Capitals to overcome. Especially in Raleigh, with the Caniacs being the loudest house in the NHL for a reason. <\/p>\n

Key #3: Frederik Andersen Stays a Brick Wall<\/p>\n

Despite missing the rest of Game 4 and Game 5, Frederik Andersen<\/a> was essentially a Danish brick wall for the Hurricanes. He finished Round 1 with a 3-1 record<\/a>, and Pyotr Kochetkov secured the Game 4 victory for Andersen after coming in. Andersen also had a 1.59 goals-against average (GAA) and a .936 save percentage (SV%). In his third playoffs with the Hurricanes, \u201cThe Great Dane\u201d is on the best run since his 2023 playoff run finished with a 5-3 record, a 1.83 GAA, and a .927 SV%. Could he keep these numbers up? Yes, there is a solid chance of Andersen keeping this up if he is 100% ready to go for Game 1 on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Related: Hurricanes & Taylor Hall Both Win With 3-Year Extension<\/a><\/p>\n

After practicing with the team on Friday, May 2, Andersen told the media<\/a>, \u201cIt was a good step today. I\u2019m happy to be back out there with the guys. I feel good.\u201d He went on to talk about having to leave Game 4 early and miss Game 5, \u201cYou never want to leave a game in the middle of the playoff series. Obviously, we were able to close out the win, and I\u2019m happy about that, but it sucked not being able to be out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

It goes to show how much of a gamer Andersen is that even though they won the series, he wanted to be in the net to help the team out. When the team practiced on Saturday, May 3, Andersen was in the \u201cstarter\u2019s crease\u201d for the Hurricanes, so there is a chance he could be the starter in Game 1. If that is the way to go, expect Andersen to continue where he left off in Round 1. The Hurricanes with Andersen in the net could be an X-factor for the series against the Capitals because he could steal a game or two. It will be an entertaining series between the two, and as long as Andersen keeps being that unstoppable force in the net for the Hurricanes, this series could end before a Game 7.<\/p>\n

Round 2, Game 1 on Tuesday<\/p>\n

While we wait for the rest of the Round 2 schedule for the Hurricanes & Capitals series, at least we know Game 1 will be May 6, at Capital One Arena in Washington. Plus, the series will exclusively air on ESPN in the United States. The time has not been announced yet, but there should be an announcement soon following the two Western Conference Game 7 matchups over the weekend. Either way, bring on Round 2 playoff hockey for the Hurricanes. <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the Carolina Hurricanes wait for the rest of the Round 2 schedule against the Washington Capitals, we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10840,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[377],"tags":[274,1239,5,510,1448],"class_list":{"0":"post-10839","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hockey","8":"tag-2025-stanley-cup-playoffs","9":"tag-frederik-andersen","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-jackson-blake","12":"tag-jordan-martinook"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/114445792290634686","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}