The Washington Capitals, fresh off a stellar regular season, are now staring down the barrel of a 2-1 series deficit against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a dominant 51-22-9 record and a first-round breeze past the Montreal Canadiens, the Caps hit a wall in a 4-0 Game 3 loss. With the Hurricanes riding high on momentum and the series staying in Raleigh for Game 4, the odds are stacked against Washington. According to moneypuck.com, their Stanley Cup chances are a league-low 4.5%. But don’t tell that to head coach Spencer Carbery—he’s got unshakable faith in his squad.

Carolina, however, found plenty to like in Game 3, even if Washington controlled the early scoring chances. The Capitals came out firing in the first period, with goaltender Frederik Andersen standing tall for the Hurricanes. Just 26 seconds into the game, he denied Tom Wilson on a breakaway with a quick right-pad save. At 2:25, he stonewalled Taylor Raddysh from the right hash marks. Those stops set the tone, allowing Carolina to weather the storm and eventually seize control.

Speaking to the media today, Carbery brushed off the Game 3 shutout like a veteran shrugging off a bad shift. “That’s just it. It was no different in Montreal when you lose game three. That’s what the post-season is about,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of experienced guys who’ve been through this before. You reset. We can win a game tomorrow night.” He acknowledged the challenge of Game 4, with the Caps’ backs against the wall in a tough road environment at Lenovo Center. “For sure, it’s a difficult game,” he admitted. “But it’s an opportunity to even the series. That’s what the playoffs is about.”

Spencer Carbery’s confidence isn’t just coach-speak. He’s leaning on his team’s ability to bounce back, a trait they showcased all season. “You reset. You refocus. You expect to have your best performance of the season, your best shift of the season, your next one,” he said. “Our guys are really good at that. They’ve been good at that through the regular season. We need to have that same mindset going into game four.” The Hurricanes’ 94-34 shot attempt advantage in Game 1 grabbed headlines, but their 2-1 overtime win showed how tight this series really is. For Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, shot attempts and high-danger chances aren’t the full story—he measures success by results, and his team’s Game 3 shutout delivered.

On the ice, Dylan Strome has been the Caps’ points leader with 10 through eight playoff games, though he’s only scored twice. Connor McMichael and the legendary Alex Ovechkin are pacing the team with four goals each, but it hasn’t been enough to keep up with Carolina’s surge. The Hurricanes, smelling blood after their Game 3 rout, are poised to take a commanding lead. Still, there’s plenty of hockey left to play. The Washington Capitals, once sneaky favorites, now face a steep climb. But if Carbery’s words are any indication, they’re ready to dig in, reset, and fight to even the series. One game could change everything.

Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery reveals team’s major issue after shocking defeat

As the first team to punch their ticket to the 2025 NHL playoffs, you’d think a squad loaded with studs like Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, and the legend Alex Ovechkin would be bulldozing their way through the postseason. Ovi even smashed Wayne Gretzky’s goal record in April—talk about a confidence boost! Fans were dreaming of a second Stanley Cup, but Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes? Oof, that was a reality check.

In a post on X by the Washington Capitals on May 10, Coach Spencer Carbery didn’t sugarcoat the 3-1 loss. “We needed something on that power play probably early in the third period and didn’t get it,” he said, hinting at how tough Game 4 in Raleigh on Monday is gonna be. The Canes took control in the second period when Andrei Svechnikov ripped a snap shot past the Caps’ defense. From there, Carolina kept piling on, and Washington just couldn’t find an answer.

Here’s the kicker: the Caps led the NHL with 25 comeback wins during the 2024-25 regular season. You’d bet they’d have the grit to claw back in a playoff game, right? Wrong. Spencer Carbery sounded downright deflated, saying, “Whenever we’re playing from behind, it’s not a good recipe for our group. We just don’t have the firepower that can snap it around.” That’s a brutal admission from a coach whose team is stacked with talent but looked flat when it mattered most.

Still, it’s not over yet. The Caps have the star power to turn things around, and Carbery knows he’s got some of the game’s best in his locker room. But after that Game 3 flop, the question looms large: can they rediscover their spark in time to save the series? Game 4’s gonna tell us a lot.