The Washington Capitals need to win Game 5 at Capital One Arena on Thursday night to keep their season alive.
If they do pick up a victory, they’ll extend their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes to at least one more game. In preparation for that possibility, the NHL announced the start time for a potential Game 6 between the two clubs at Lenovo Center on Saturday, May 17.
Puck drop would be set for 8:00 pm, and the game would be broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN+.
With two straight wins, including what would be their first-ever in the playoffs on the road in Raleigh, the Capitals would force a final Game 7 back at home to determine who moves on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Caps have completed a series comeback down 3-1 just twice in their history, in 1988 against the Philadelphia Flyers and 2009 against the New York Rangers. In the history of the NHL, only 32 teams out of 352 have successfully come back from down 3-1 to win a best-of-seven series (9.1 percent).
Here is the press release from the NHL:
Capitals-Hurricanes Potential Game 6 Set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday
NEW YORK (May 15, 2025) – The National Hockey League today announced the start time for the potential Game 6, if necessary, of the Second Round series between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes has been set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 17, in Raleigh. The game would be available on ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S. In Canada, the game would be on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
