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Capitals Make Major Changes After Game 1 Loss to the Hurricanes, Including One Shocking Scratch

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 8, 2025 3:12 PM ET

The Washington Capitals struggled offensively in Game 1 against the Hurricanes, and now, they've made a shocking lineup change ahead of Game 2.

After a dominant round one performance against the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals lost Game One of round two against the Carolina Hurricanes, and while it was just one game, the lack of offense has certainly become a major concern.

Now, with the team looking to avoid an 0-2 deficit after the first two games on home ice, they've seemingly looked to make a change, with the expectation being that top rookie Ryan Leonard will come out of the lineup.

While Leonard showed flashes in nine regular season games, he hasn't excelled thus far in six post-season games, and as a result, he'll come out of the lineup in favour of the much more experienced Taylor Raddysh.

The hype around Leonard is purely justified, as he had a fantastic college career and represents the future of the organization, and given how beloved he already is in the locker room, this wasn't an easy decision, but it's likely the best one for the team right now.

The future still remains incredibly bright for the former No. 8 overall draft pick, but with just two points in 15 total career games including an empty net goal, it's safe to say that they could get much better production elsewhere.

This doesn't mean that Leonard won't be back later in the series or even for Game 3, but with the team looking for a spark after notching just one goal against Carolina in the first game of this series, they're trying something new, and whether it pays off or not, only time will tell.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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