Playoffs round 1? Check. Round 2 opponent? Double check. Tom Wilson and his squad of chaos-makers, aka the Washington Capitals, just kicked the Canadiens to the curb with a 4-1 dub in Game 5 and officially slammed the playoff door shut on Montreal’s dreams. Sure, the Habs punched above their weight, but let’s be real: the top-seeded Caps had the upper hand from the jump. This marks the first time they’ve hit the second round since that magical 2018 Cup run, and they’re looking hungry. Next stop? The Carolina Hurricanes, after they breezed past the Devils in five. Eastern Conference? The Caps are now sitting pretty as the second crew to crash the second-round party.

From that wild overtime heart-racer in Game 1, where Montreal clawed back only for Ovi to shut it down, to straight-up dominance the rest of the way, the Caps took over the wheel and never let go. After a hiccup in Game 3, they snapped back hard in Game 4 and brought the hammer in Game 5. Their forecheck was pure madness, their power play was humming, and yeah, Tom Wilson and Ovechkin both cashed in with man-advantage snipes. Goalie Logan Thompson? Stone cold. Battling injuries and still shutting down the Habs like it was nothing, just one goal allowed on 29 shots. And now, with Round 2 on deck, Tom Wilson’s already sending little warning flares Carolina’s way.

When the mics were hot and the post-game glow was still fresh, Tom Wilson hit the podium with that playoff grit still dripping off his gear. A reporter tossed him the big one about Carolina, and without missing a beat, he gave that classic Wilson mix of chill confidence and war-mode readiness. He made it clear. This squad’s gonna soak in the win for a hot minute before flipping the switch. “Yeah, we’re going to enjoy this for sure first and we know them really well,” he said, probably still hearing the buzz of the Game 5 crowd in his head.

And then came the respect-laced scouting report—straight from a guy who’s been through enough battles to know when it’s about to get real. “They play fast, they play direct hockey, you know, predictable to each other. I’m sure our coaches will give us a good game plan and we’ll enjoy this one and then we’ll refocus and we’ll be ready to go. It’s going to be a fast, physical, competitive series again.” Translation? The Caps aren’t just pulling up to Round 2—they’re rolling in with fire, focus, and a full tank of playoff fuel.

So here’s how it all went down under the bright playoff lights; Alex Ovechkin came in hot with his fourth snipe of the postseason, opening the party early as the Capitals punched their ticket to round two with a 4-1 knockout over the Canadiens in Game 5 at Capital One Arena. Ovi’s power-play laser kicked off the scoreboard, Dylan Strome was out there dishing dimes like a wizard with two slick assists, and Tom Wilson? Yeah, he was on demon time, racking up a goal and an assist, just being the heartbeat of the whole show. And let’s not forget Logan Thompson, who shut the door with 28 saves and stood tall when the Habs came clawing in the third.

Jakob Chychrun and Wilson both cashed in, and even after Montreal’s Emil Heineman tried to stir up some hope in the third, the Caps held it down. Brandon Duhaime iced it with a cheeky empty-netter, sealing the deal like a boss. And now, as if things couldn’t get juicier, the Caps are set to tango with the Carolina Hurricanes—an opponent they’ve danced with before.

Tom Wilson and the Caps set to face the Hurricanes!

Oh, you wanna talk fireworks? Let’s rewind to April 10th when the Caps and Canes last clashed at Capital One Arena, and man, it was spicy. Washington sealed that wild 5-4 shootout dub, locking in the No. 1 seed in the East like absolute bosses. Pierre-Luc Dubois was out there doing his thing, scoring in regulation and then straight-up, flexing with the lone shootout dagger. Ovi? Yeah, the Great 8 got honored for career goal No. 895 and stretched his point streak to six games. Dude’s basically living in the history books at this point. Lindgren held it down in net with 30 saves, and Tom Wilson? Let’s just say… he wasn’t there to play nice.

The Canes came storming back from a 4-2 hole in the third, Jarvis was in full beast mode, and Carolina even forced OT with a buzzer-beater move that had hearts racing. But guess what? Caps didn’t even blink. Even after Wilson was involved in that wild first-period tangle that saw a puck cross the line and a review throw everyone in suspense, he bounced back like a true menace on skates. His gritty goal late in the second was classic Tom, powering through traffic like a human wrecking ball and finishing the play himself. Chef’s kiss.

Now with the Canes and Caps locking horns again in the playoffs, you know it’s about to get real. Carolina better keep their heads on swivels ’cause Wilson’s out here throwing hits with main-character energy. The man just sent the Habs packing with some ferocious physical play that had fans losing it, and trust us—he’s not slowing down. This series? Yeah, it’s not just hockey. It’s gonna be a full-blown saga.