Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals: Game 1 preview, predictions and odds | Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2, May 6, 2025

The Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Washington Capitals in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 1 is set for Tuesday with the puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Carolina beat the New Jersey Devils in five games, while Washington beat the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

Hurricanes vs Capitals: Head-to-head & key stats

• Carolina went 2-1-1 against Washington this season
• The Hurricanes averaged 3.2 goals per game
• Washington went 26-9-6 at home
• Carolina allowed 2.8 goals per game
• The Capitals averaged 3.49 goals per game
• The Hurricanes 16-21-4 on the road
• Washington allowed 2.79 goals per game

Carolina Hurricanes vs Washington Capitals: Preview

Carolina dominated New Jersey in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which wasn't much of a surprise. The Hurricanes in the playoffs are led by Sebastian Aho, who has eight points. Andrei Svechnikov has six points, Seth Jarvis has five points, and Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere have four points.

The Hurricanes should be starting Frederik Andersen, who is coming back from injury. In the regular season, Andersen went 13-8-1 with a 2.50 GAA and a .899 SV%. In his career against Washington, he's 10-4-3 with a 2.58 GAA and a .912 SV%. In the playoffs, he's 3-1 with a 1.59 GAA and a .936 SV%.

Washington, meanwhile, beat Montreal in five games and has home ice advantage again. The Capitals will start Logan Thompson, who went 31-6-6 with a 2.49 GAA and a .910 SV%. In his career against Carolina, he's 0-2 with an 8.34 GAA and a .780 SV%. In the playoffs, he's 4-1 with a 2.23 GAA and a .923 SV%.

The Capitals in the playoffs were led by Dylan Strome, who has nine points. Antony Beauvillier, Connor McMichael, Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson have 5 points each, while Jakob Chychrun has 3 points.

Hurricanes vs Capitals: Odds & Prediction

Carolina is a -125 favorite, while Washington is a +105 underdog, and the over/under is set at 5.5 goals.

The Hurricanes are road favorites, which is unusual in the playoffs, but Thompson has struggled in his career against Carolina. The Hurricanes played well against New Jersey, while Washington had some struggles at times.

Look for the Hurricanes to start strong and get out to an early lead, as Carolina will take Game 1 on the road and take early control of the series.

Prediction: Carolina 4, Washington 2.

Hurricanes vs Capitals: Head-to-head & key stats

Tip 1: Carolina ML (-125)

Tip 2: Over 5.5 goals (-122)

Tip 3: Seth Jarvis 3+ shots on goal (-115)