Apr 30, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the first period in game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The Washington Capitals eliminated the Montreal Canadiens from the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a 4-1 victory in Game 5. Despite the Canadiens playing better than expected, the top-seeded Capitals were too much and overcame the young Montreal team with relative ease. This is the first time the Capitals have reached the second round since their 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team.
With their victory, the Capitals are the second team in the Eastern Conference to advance to the second round. They will meet the Carolina Hurricanes in round two, after they dispatched the New Jersey Devils in five games as well.
Aside from an overtime thriller in Game 1, the Capitals have been in charge for the entirety of the series. The Habs tied things late in Game 1 to force the extra frame, but Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin sealed things with an overtime winner.
From there, the Caps were in charge. They secured a two-goal victory in Game 2, suffered a disappointing 6-3 loss in Game 3, but rebounded splendidly for a 5-2 victory in Game 3 to give the team a 3-1 series lead.
In Game 5, the killer instincts of the Caps were the difference maker. Their even-strength play can be described only as dogged, giving the Canadiens no space on the ice or room to breathe. Their aggressive forecheck also forced several power-play opportunities, giving their dangerous unit more chances to inflict damage. Winger Tom Wilson and Ovechkin each notched goals with the man advantage in the contest.
Also fueling the series victory was the sterling play of Capitals starting goalie Logan Thompson. Playing through injuries, he was phenomenal. In the series clincher, he allowed just one goal on 29 shots against, slamming the door shut on the Canadiens and propelling the Caps into the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
