The Washington Capitals, led by Alex Ovechkin, saw their playoff run end on Thursday night as they were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes, who have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
In this crucial elimination game for the Capitals, the score remained tied until Andrei Svechnikov broke the deadlock with the winning goal just 1:59 before the end, marking his eighth goal of the playoffs. Seth Jarvis sealed the Hurricanes` 3-1 victory with an empty-net goal, silencing the home crowd at Capital One Arena.
Following the final buzzer, Ovechkin surveyed the arena with a visible look of disappointment. This marks a frustrating conclusion to an otherwise remarkable season for the Capitals` captain. Despite setting the NHL`s all-time goals record and guiding Washington to the top regular-season record in the Eastern Conference, their playoff journey concluded in the second round with a 4-1 series defeat.
Carolina`s captain, Jordan Staal, was the first to score, and the Hurricanes benefited from another stellar performance in net by Frederik Andersen. Anthony Beauvillier netted the lone goal for Washington.
