The Carolina Hurricanes were the first team to clinch a spot in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina defeated the New Jersey Devils in five games to punch their ticket. In the second round, they will meet Tom Wilson and the Washington Capitals.
The last time these teams met in the postseason came before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Capitals were coming off their first Stanley Cup title. And they were hoping to successfully defend the Cup. However, they failed to do so, losing to the Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs. In 2025, Wilson is looking forward to taking another shot at Carolina.
“It’ll be nice to get another crack at them from a few years back,” Wilson said, via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. “They compete very hard. You know what you’re going to get from them. You’re going to get their all – all their work ethic. We’re going to have to dictate play and worry about our game and make sure we’re really focused and dialed in, because there’s not going to be a lot of time and space out there.”
Capitals Also Have Recent Familiarity With Hurricanes
The Capitals are not simply lingering on resentment over their 2019 elimination. Carolina has undoubtedly changed over the years, as has Washington. Moreover, Wilson and his teammates have plenty of recent experience with the Hurricanes to work with.
The Capitals and Hurricanes faced each other four times during the regular season. Two of those four games came in the final weeks of the regular season. The teams split these two contests ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Either way, the recent matchups will certainly help Washington in this series.
“We’re obviously very familiar with them,” Wilson said, via Gulitti. “Everyone is familiar with everyone these days. It seems like there’s so much video and so much scouting that goes into it all. … It’s a rival. It’s a divisional opponent. They’ve been a measuring stick in this division for a long time. Obviously, the Caps franchise has been the same. You’re going to have two fast, big teams in the East going at it. I think it’s going to be high paced, physical, detailed hockey.”
Washington Thankful for Rest Before Facing Carolina
Both the Capitals and the Hurricanes finished their first-round matchups in five games. As mentioned, Carolina defeated the Devils. Meanwhile, the Capitals took care of a very resilient Montreal Canadiens squad. However, both teams have sat at home for an extended period of time.
The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is not over. On Saturday, the Dallas Stars eliminated the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7. On Sunday, the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues will face off to close out the opening round of the postseason.
The rest vs. rust debate in the NHL is a fascinating one. Specific teams and players have intriguing viewpoints, no matter where they land. For the Capitals, they value the rest they have received before what they believe to be an intense clash with the Hurricanes.
“It’s a little different, but I think rest is always good for us,” Capitals star Dylan Strome said, via Gulitti. “I think we’ve shown throughout the year that when we have a little bit of a lighter schedule, it seems like we’re pretty dialed in when we come out of it. So, hopefully, it works the same way and you’re just ready to go.”
The Capitals and Hurricanes both have their eyes on the Stanley Cup. And there’s only one way to decide who moves on this postseason. Game 1 of this series is scheduled for Tuesday night at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Capitals’ Tom Wilson Gets Honest on Rivalry With Hurricanes appeared first on Heavy Sports.