Hurricanes captain reveals secret to winning their series against the Capitals in Round 2
Photo credit: Bleacher Report
The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes are set to faceoff in the second-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The real test starts now, as the Metropolitan Division's top two teams clash for a spot in the Eastern Conference Final.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal reveals the secret to winning their series against the Capitals.
Here's what Staal had to say ahead of Game 1 tonight.
"Both teams kind of understand what each team is going to do, it's just, who does it better? It's a matter of who gets to their game quickest..."
Jordan Staal ahead of tonight's Game 1 between the #Canes and Capitals.
Jordan Staal ahead of tonight's Game 1 between the #Canes and Capitals.
Sara Civian from Bleacher Report writes that this marks just the second playoff showdown between the Capitals and Hurricanes in NHL history, and if it's anything like their 2019 clash, fans are in for a thrilling ride.
"The Hurricanes held up well against the Presidents' Trophy runners-up in the regular season, snagging two wins and a loser point, but the matchup was just as close as it's anticipated to be in the playoffs." -Civian
The Capitals split their regular-season four-game series with the Hurricanes 2-2, winning both of the meetings at Capital One Arena. Washington is also undefeated on home ice in these playoffs and has only lost once in their last six home games.
Civian also writes that special teams is going to be a deciding factor in this series for both teams.
"The Capitals didn't capitalize on most of their power plays with a 23.1 conversation rate, but true to form they made it happen when it counted. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes enter this series perfect on the penalty kill, holding the Devils to 0 goals through 15 power-play opportunities." -Civian
Which team will dictate the style of play? Most oddsmakers and analysts give the edge to the Hurricanes, whose structured, systematic approach is more likely to wear down and break their opponents.
But at the same time, the Capitals team is anything but ordinary. They've defied expectations at every step this season, have yet to show signs of struggle, and Alex Ovechkin, the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, appears to be playing his best hockey at 39-years-old.
It all starts on Tuesday at 7:00pm from Capital One Arena in Washington.
| POLL | ||
MAI 6 | 19 ANSWERS Hurricanes captain reveals secret to winning their series against the Capitals in Round 2 Who do you have winning this second-round matchup? | ||
| Capitals | 18 | 94.7 % |
| Hurricanes | 1 | 5.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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