3 turning points that derailed Washington Capitals’ 2024-25 season ft. Ovechkin silenced by Canes

The Washington Capitals had a fantastic regular season in 2024-25. The club registered 111 points to go with Alex Ovechkin’s historic season.

Those milestones had fans with high hopes for a strong postseason run. After barely breaking a sweat against the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals ran into a brick wall against the Carolina Hurricanes.

So, it’s worth taking a look at what went wrong for the Washington Capitals in the 2024-25 season.

3 turning points that derailed Washington Capitals’ 2024-25 season

#3 Game 1 OT loss against Hurricanes

The Washington Capitals cruised past the Canadiens in the opening round. Except for a big 6-3 win by the Canadiens in Game 3, the Capitals were in control of the series.

But in the second round, things took a major turn. The Carolina Hurricanes were dominant. The Canes kept the Caps in check, taking Game 1 2-1 in overtime.

Jaccob Slavin scored somewhat of a controversial goal that handed the Capitals the loss. The game would have gone either way, especially with the Capitals being unable to hold the lead in the third period.

It was a game the Capitals could have won. Had they done so, Washington could have been up 2-0 in the series instead of heading back to Carolina tied at one. Going up 2-0 could have led to a completely different outcome for the Capitals in their series against the Canes.

#2 Martin Fehervary injury

The Washington Capitals sustained a significant injury on the blue line leading up to the postseason. The club lost Martin Fehervary in mid-April to a season-ending knee injury.

Now, Fehervary’s injury itself wasn’t the turning point. It was the ripple effect of that injury that led to the Capitals’ woes.

With Fehervary out, Jakob Chychrun was forced to shoulder more of the load alongside John Carlson. That situation forced the Capitals’ blue liner to play tougher defensive minutes instead of more offensive time.

The result was evident as Chychrun and Carlson, to a certain extent, found themselves out of place at times.

Fehervary’s absence wasn’t quite as noticeable against the Canadiens. But against a superior Hurricanes team, Fehervary’s absence became painfully evident.

#1 Ovechkin shut down by Canes

Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer, fell silent in the second round against the Hurricanes. The Canes kept him to one goal in the entire series.

The Canes were able to use their tight forechecking to keep the Russian superstar at bay. But perhaps the most concerning issue is that no one else picked up the slack for the Capitals. In the end, the Capitals’ offense dried up, allowing the Hurricanes to advance in five games.