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Washington Capitals issue stern warning to Carolina Hurricanes
The Washington Capitals have accomplished something they haven't done in seven years -- punching their ticket to the second round of the NHL playoffs. With a convincing 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens, they wrapped up the series in five games now shift their focus to the Carolina Hurricanes.
It's no secret that there's no love lost between the Capitals and Hurricanes.
Two powerhouses in the Metro Division, both teams boast high-powered offences and rock-solid blue lines.
These rivals crossed paths late in the regular season when a heated exchange between Jaylen Chatfield and sparked tensions that will no doubt carry over into this series.
After last night's win, several Capitals players spoke with the media, acknowledging the tough challenge ahead.
Washington Capitals players speak on Hurricanes
According to the NHL, The Capitals, who are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan Division, will have home-ice advantage against the Hurricanes, who are the No. 2 seed from the Metropolitan.
"Everyone kind of knows how they play," Washington's Dylan Strome said. "They dump a lot of pucks in. They don't let you have a lot of zone time. We're going to need to find a way to combat that.
They're a great team. We've had some pretty good games with them this year, some physical games, so I expect a little bit more of what we saw in this series: kind of a physical style. But it's going to be huge to have the puck. We need the puck."
They're a great team. We've had some pretty good games with them this year, some physical games, so I expect a little bit more of what we saw in this series: kind of a physical style. But it's going to be huge to have the puck. We need the puck."
Washington Capitals star Tom Wilson also highlighted his excitement for the challenge that lies ahead.
«We're going to enjoy this, for sure, first and we know them really well," Wilson said. "They play fast. They play direct hockey, predictable to each other. I'm sure our coaches will give us a good game plan and we'll enjoy this one and then we'll refocus and we'll be ready to go. It's going to be a fast, physical, competitive series again.»
The Capitals and the Hurricanes split the regular season series 2-2, and the second round will undoubtedly be heated a matchup you won't want to miss.
More details to follow.
| POLL | ||
MAI 1 | 71 ANSWERS Washington Capitals issue stern warning to Carolina Hurricanes Do you think the Washington Capitals will defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the NHL playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 87.3 % |
| No | 9 | 12.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
