The Capitals earned their first series-clinching victory since winning a championship nearly seven years ago and locked in the first matchup for the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* The reigning-champion Panthers also advanced to the Second Round, where they could face the Senators in the first-ever postseason series involving brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.
* The Jets rebounded from consecutive losses to take a 3-2 lead in their First Round series and improve to 3-0 in front of the “Winnipeg Whiteout” this postseason. Game 6 goes tomorrow at Enterprise Center (8 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, truTV, SN, TVAS, CBC, FDSNMW).
* Thursday could mark the second day in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and first in 33 years where four teams forced a Game 7.
CAPITALS CLINCH SERIES VERSUS CANADIENS, WILL FACE HURRICANES IN Round 2
Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring and Jakob Chychrun collected the series-clinching goal as Washington advanced to the Second Round. The Capitals improved to 4-0 in their last four opening-round series where they entered the postseason as a conference’s No. 1-seeded team, following wins in the 2017 First Round, 2016 First Round and 2011 Conference Quarterfinals.
* Ovechkin scored his 30th career playoff power-play goal to pass Mario Lemieux (29) and move into a tie with Joe Pavelski as well as Nicklas Lidstrom for fifth place on the NHL’s all-time list. Chychrun became the third defenseman in franchise history with a series clincher, joining Calle Johansson (Game 6 of 1994 CQF) and Scott Stevens (Game 3 of 1986 DSF).
* The Capitals will clash with the Hurricanes in their second all-time Stanley Cup Playoffs series, following the 2019 First Round where Carolina rallied from series deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before staging a multi-goal comeback capped by the double-overtime clincher in Game 7.
* Ovechkin is one of five current Capitals players (min. 1 GP in 2024-25) who appeared in at least one game against the Hurricanes during the 2019 First Round (also John Carlson, Nic Dowd, Lars Eller & Tom Wilson), while five members of Carolina’s roster did so versus Washington (Sebastian Aho, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal & Andrei Svechnikov). Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk played for the Hurricanes in the series and Carolina blueliner Dmitry Orlov skated for Washington.
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Capitals-Canadiens Game 5.
Luostarinen logs four points as reigning Stanley Cup champions advance
Eetu Luostarinen (1-3—4) established a franchise playoff record for most points in a road contest and became the first player in club history with four during a potential series-clinching game as the Panthers advanced to the Second Round.
* Luostarinen became the first player on any team with four points in a potential closeout contest since current teammate Brad Marchand had four assists against Florida in Game 6 of the 2023 First Round. Luostarinen was the first with four in a series-clinching win since Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (1-4—5 in Game 4 of 2022 CF).
* The Panthers will be pitted against the winner of the “Battle of Ontario” series in the Second Round. Florida has faced Toronto once in the postseason, which was during the 2023 Second Round when the Panthers scored the overtime clincher in Game 5 en route to their historic appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. Florida has never played a playoff series against Ottawa.
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Panthers-Lightning Game 5.
Jets improve to 3-0 in front of “Winnipeg Whiteout” this postseason
Kyle Connor (1-2—3) and Mason Appleton (0-3—3) tallied three points apiece as Winnipeg pushed St. Louis to the brink of elimination. The First Round series between the Jets and Blues marked the first postseason round where the home team earned wins in each of the first five games since the 2022 Second Round between the Rangers and Hurricanes (6 GP).
* Connor collected his fourth career three-point playoff game and tied Blake Wheeler for the most in Jets/Thrashers history. Connor also became the first player in club history with a three-game postseason-opening home goal streak.
* Connor Hellebuyck, who made a highlight-reel stick save on Oskar Sundqvist during the first period, bounced back from consecutive losses and needs one more victory to give Winnipeg its first series win since the 2021 First Round.
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Blues-Jets Game 5.
QUICK CLICKS
* Canadiens line up to hug David Savard after final NHL game
* Taylor Hall signs 3-year, $9.5 million contract with Hurricanes
* EDGE stats: Game-tying goals late in 3rd period during 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
* Utah owners announce 1st phase of renovations for Delta Center
* Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar named Ted Lindsay Award finalists
FOUR GAMES, FOUR CHANCES TO FORCE A GAME 7
A jam-packed Thursday – with four Game 6s slated – will have the Senators, Wild, Avalanche and Kings all entering with the same goal: to force a Game 7. For the fourth straight year, at least four potential series-clinching games will be played on the same date – a stretch the NHL hasn’t seen since three postseasons from 1995-97. The last instance – April 30, 2024 – saw the Maple Leafs and Predators both extend their series, while the Hurricanes and Avalanche advanced.
* There has been only one day in Stanley Cup Playoffs history where four teams won to force a Game 7: April 29, 1992 (PIT, NJD, BUF & HFD all extended their series). The only other dates with at least three were May 12, 2022, April 27, 1997 and May 17, 1995.
* Brady Tkachuk (3-3—6 in 5 GP), who is currently leading his team in scoring after posting three points in Game 5, will aim to help his club earn its third straight win to tie the series at 3-3 and force the third Game 7 in the ‘Battle of Ontario’ (also 2004 CQF & 2002 CSF). Tkachuk has points in each of the past four games and can match the second-longest point streak in the playoffs by a Senators player in the past 15 years (5 GP by Derick Brassard in 2017 & Jason Spezza in 2010). Daniel Alfredsson (6 GP in 2010) owns the longest stretch over that span.
* Kirill Kaprizov (5-4—9 in 5 GP) will aim to extend his postseason-opening point streak to six games and match Zach Parise (6 GP in 2014) for the longest run in Wild history. Minnesota has forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-2 in a series four times in franchise history (2021 R1, 2014 R1, 2003 CSF & 2003 CQF) – they went on to win the series in 2014 and both times in 2003.
* Nathan MacKinnon (5-2—7 in 5 GP) will aim to help the Avalanche win Game 6 after trailing 3-2 in a best-of-seven series for the eighth time in franchise history – MacKinnon has been a part of three of the previous seven instances (2023 R1, 2020 R2 & 2019 R2). MacKinnon can climb the Avalanche/Nordiques list for most points when facing elimination (3-7—10 in 13 GP). The only players with more are Joe Sakic (11-11—22 in 22 GP), Peter Stastny (3-13—16 in 14 GP) and Mikko Rantanen (7-6—13 in 12 GP).
* Anze Kopitar (1-7—8 in 5 GP) will aim to help force the third Game 7 between the Kings and Oilers, with the last one coming in the first of four straight postseason series in which these two teams have met (2022 R1). Kopitar has recorded 7-9—16 (15 GP) in games when facing elimination throughout his career, which is tied with Wayne Gretzky (8-8—16 in 10 GP) for the second most in franchise history in that scenario. The list is topped by Luc Robitaille (9-13—22 in 18 GP).
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