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Hurricanes HC Raises Eyebrows With Comments on Capitals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 6, 2025 4:23 PM ET

The Carolina Hurricanes are getting ready for their second-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals to begin. Carolina enters this matchup as the underdog, with Washington having home-ice advantage.

Washington was one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference this past season, and many people see them as a sleeper for the Stanley Cup Final. But these two teams know each other very well, and preparation has been intense.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour was asked how he plans to stop this Washington team, and he offered some curious comments.

“When you prepare to play against good teams, it’s actually easy to prepare because they do it over and over and they do it right and you’ve to try to stop it,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Tuesday. “That’s what these guys have done all year, so I don’t think they’re inventing the wheel here at this time of the year. They’ve had success all year, and rightfully so.”.

This is the second time that the two franchises will meet in the postseason, with the Hurricanes taking down the Capitals in 2019. Carolina won a thrilling Game 7 to upset Washington, adding some extra motivation to this matchup.

The Hurricanes are looking to reach the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in the past seven seasons. In contrast, Washington is in the second round for the first time since 2018.

Both sides have something to prove, offering even more juice to this rivalry matchup. Game 1 begins at 4 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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