Capitals lineup tonight: Washington’s projected lineup for Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 2, May 8, 2025

The Washington Capitals will look to tie up their second-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. After finishing the regular season in first place in the Metropolitan Division and dispatching the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, the Capitals dropped Game 1 at home on Tuesday.

Before the series heads to Carolina for games three and four, Washington will look to defend home ice and tie the series 1-1.

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery and his team are motivated, as despite being outshot 33-14 in Game 1, they were an overtime goal away from winning.

Considering NHL teams win a series 87.6% of the time when up 2-0, Washington could consider Game 2 as a must-win matchup.

Washington Capitals projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change

Forwards

Anthony Beauvillier - Dylan Strome - Alex Ovechkin
Connor McMichael - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Tom Wilson
Andrew Mangiapane - Lars Eller - Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime - Nic Dowd - Ailaksei Protas

Defense

Jakob Chychrun - John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin - Matt Roy
Alexander Alexeyev - Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Goalies

Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren

Powerplay

Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson
Andrew Mangiapane, Connor McMichael, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex Ovechkin, Rasmus Sandin

Penalty kill

Nic Dowd, Tom Wilson, Matt Roy, John Carlson
Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, Rasmus Sandin, Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Odds for pivotal Game 2 clash between the Capitals and Hurricanes

Bettors are backing Carolina to get the job done on the road and go up 2-0 in this second-round series.

On FanDuel, the Hurricanes are -164 favorites while Washington is a +136 underdog. On DraftKings, Carolina is a -170 favorite while the Capitals are +142 underdogs.

It would take a $170 bet on the Hurricanes to win $100 on DraftKings, and a $100 bet on the Washington would win $142.

Following Game 2 action at Capital One Arena on Thursday, the series shifts to Carolina for Game 3 on Saturday. If the Hurricanes go up 2-0, there's a chance that the potential closeout game will be in Game 4 on Monday.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez