Andre Svechnikov’s shot from a bad angle slipped past Logan Thompson, ending the Washington Capitals\u2019 most successful season since their 2018 Stanley Cup title.<\/p>\n
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Reactions from Capitals fans after season ends with 3-1 loss to Hurricanes<\/p>\n
\nWASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Logan Thompson probably made dozens of saves in these playoffs tougher than this one \u2014 a shot by Andre Svechnikov from a severe angle that knocked Washington out of the postseason.<\/p>\n
In the end, though, that was part of the reason the Capitals couldn\u2019t give Carolina a tougher series. With Alex Ovechkin and his teammates struggling to score, a few too many low-percentage shots went in for the Hurricanes.<\/p>\n
The final one came off Svechnikov\u2019s stick late in the third period of Game 5 on Thursday night. Svechnikov was almost in the corner \u2014 the second tight-angle goal Thompson allowed in the game \u2014 and after an empty-netter the Hurricanes skated off with a 3-1 win<\/a> that ended this second-round series.<\/p>\n \u201cTerrible goal to give up to end the season. I\u2019ve got to wear that,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI\u2019m an adult. That\u2019s on me. I can be better.\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson wasn\u2019t bad in this series. His .911 save percentage was about the same as his regular-season mark of .910. But the big question all series was whether Carolina\u2019s style of play \u2014 which relies on shot quantity more than quality \u2014 would succeed. The answer to that was obvious from the start.<\/p>\n A shot from the point through traffic won Game 1 in overtime for the Hurricanes. A shot to the short side went in to put Carolina up 2-0 in Game 3. Then Thompson couldn\u2019t hold onto a glove save in Game 4, and a goal off the rebound gave the Hurricanes a two-goal lead in that one.<\/p>\n Thompson did make some big stops \u2014 including a lunging stick save on Logan Stankoven on Thursday \u2014 that helped keep the Capitals in games. Washington managed only seven goals in the series, so when Carolina did score, the impact was magnified.<\/p>\n And thus ended the Capitals\u2019 most successful season since they won the Stanley Cup in 2018. They made the playoffs a year ago \u2014 barely \u2014 and were swept immediately by the New York Rangers. Not much more was expected in 2024-25, but Washington celebrated its 50th-anniversary season in style, finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings and helping Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky\u2019s career goals record<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Capitals dispatched Montreal in five games before facing a Carolina team that pressured them from the start and never allowed Washington to get comfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s tough obviously. We had a special group,\u201d Ovechkin said. \u201cI don\u2019t think we played bad hockey. We had lots of great chances to get the lead. It\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n Ovechkin scored one goal in the series against Carolina after contributing four in the first round and 44 during the regular season.<\/p>\n