Capitals lineup tonight: Washington’s projected lineup for Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 2, May 15, 2025

The Washington Capitals will look to defend home ice and stave off elimination on Thursday when they collide with the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of their second-round series.

After losing Game 1 (May 6) at home, the Capitals rallied, winning Game 2 (May 8) impressively. However, when the series shifted to Carolina, the Hurricanes picked up dominant wins, shutting the Caps out in Game 3 (Saturday) and winning 5-2 in Game 4 (Monday).

Facing elimination, Washington has to dig deep if it wants to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Throughout NHL history, only 32 teams have come back from it, putting a lot of pressure on Alex Ovechkin and his teammates.

Washington Capitals projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change

Forwards

Alex Ovechkin - Dylan Strome - Anthony Beauvillier
Aliaksei Protas - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Tom Wilson
Andrew Mangiapane - Connor McMichael - Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime - Nic Dowd - Taylor Raddysh

Defense

Rasmus Sandin - John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun - 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 Game 5 between the Capitals and Hurricanes

Heading into Thursday's game, Carolina is a slight betting favorite on most major sportsbooks, with fans optimistic that it will close out the series and punch its ticket to the conference finals.

However, winning in Washington is not an easy task. During the regular season, the Capitals were 26-9-6 at home.

The Hurricanes are -170 favorites on FanDuel, while Washington is a +140 underdog. On DraftKings, Carolina is a -175 favorite and the Capitals are +145 underdogs.

It would take a $175 bet on the Hurricanes to win $100 on DraftKings, while a $100 bet on Washington would win $145.

Note: Payout figures are in addition to winning back the original bet.

If Washington emerges victorious, Game 6 is tentatively set for Saturday in Carolina, with Game 7 scheduled for Monday in Washington.

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