Schedule and 2018-19 Results
Regular Season Records: Washington 48-26-8=104pts, Carolina 46-29-7=99pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 11 April: Carolina loses at Washington, 4-goals-2
Game 2 on Saturday, 13 April: Carolina loses at Washington, 4-goals-3 (OT)
Game 3 on Monday, 15 April: Washington loses at Carolina, 5-goals-nil
Game 4 on Thursday, 18 April: Washington loses at Carolina, 2-goals-1
Game 5 on Saturday, 20 April: Carolina loses at Washington, 6-goals-nil
Game 6 on Monday, 22 April: Washington loses at Carolina, 5-goals-2
Game 7 on Wednesday, 24 April: Carolina wins at Washington, 4-goals-3 (2OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The Carolina Hurricanes visited and topped the defending NHL-champion Washington Capitals 4-goals-3 in double overtime to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1388 victory. With the series 1388 win, the Carolina Hurricanes improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 10-4 overall and 4-2 (with an active four-series winning streak) in the Preliminary round. With the series 1388 loss, the Washington Capitals see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 18-26 overall and 12-13 in the Preliminary round. The series 1388 Game 7 loss is the NBA/NHL-leading 79th best-of-7 Preliminary-round game loss by the Washington Capitals; the series 1388 loss by the Washington Capitals ties the NHL Calgary Flames with the Capitals NBA/NHL-leading 13th Preliminary-round series loss. The win order for the victorious Carolina Hurricanes in series 1388 was LLWWLWW: Series 1388 thus becomes the third NHL Preliminary-round series, the tenth NHL series (all rounds), and the 16th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The series 1388 Game 7 win improves the Game 7 record of the Carolina Hurricanes (irrespective of site) to an MLB/NBA/NHL-best 5-0. The series 1388 Game 7 loss by the Washington Capitals is their MLB/NBA/NHL-leading ninth Game 7 loss at home. The Carolina Hurricanes trailed series 1388 Game 7 by two goals on the road as late as 16:36 into the second period, but won in double overtime: In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2018, inclusive, road teams down two goals as late as 16:36 into the second period had a game record of only 33-448 (.069).

After Game 6: The Carolina Hurricanes hosted and bested the Washington Capitals 5-goals-2 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1388 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have a Game 7 record of 5-11, while the Carolina Hurricanes have a Game 7 record of 4-0. The Washington Capitals have a home ice Game 7 record of 3-8. The Carolina Hurricanes have a road ice Game 7 record of 2-0. Irrespective of win/site order, home teams in NHL Game 7s have a 100-72 (.581) record overall, and a 38-29 (.567) record in best-of-7 NHL Preliminary-round series. The 4-0 Game 7 record of the Carolina Hurricanes is an MLB/NBA/NHL-best. The Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins, with eight home-ice Game 7 losses each, are tied for the most home Game 7 losses in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series history.

After Game 5: The Washington Capitals hosted and shut out the Carolina Hurricanes 6-goals-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1388 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 11-6 (with an active four-series winning streak) and a Game 6 record of 9-8 (with an active four-Game 6 winning streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 1-2 and a Game 6 record of 1-2.

After Game 4: The Carolina Hurricanes hosted and bested the Washington Capitals 2-goals-1 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1388 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 8-9 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 5 record of 8-9, while the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 5-1 and a Game 5 record of 4-2.

After Game 3: The Carolina Hurricanes hosted and shut out the Washington Capitals 5-goals-nil to reduce the Washington Capitals best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1388 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 9-11 and a Game 4 record of 12-8. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 4-1 and a Game 4 record of 4-1. The series 1388 Game 3 win ends the Carolina Hurricanes overall best-of-7 NHL playoff game losing streak at six games, begun in 2009 in their last best-of-7 NHL playoff series appearance.

After Game 2: The Washington Capitals hosted and bested the Carolina Hurricanes 4-goals-3 in overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1388 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 4-5 and a Game 3 record of 1-8. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 1-2 and a Game 3 record of 1-2. The series 1388 Game 2 loss extends the Carolina Hurricanes overall best-of-7 NHL playoff game losing streak to six games (they were swept in series 1068, in the 2009 NHL Semifinals).

After Game 1: The Washington Capitals hosted and topped the Carolina Hurricanes 4-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1388 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 8-16 and a Game 2 record of 9-15. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 5-3 and a Game 2 record of 5-3. The series 1388 Game 1 loss extends the Carolina Hurricanes best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 1 losing streak to four games, and their overall best-of-7 NHL playoff game losing streak to five games (they were swept in series 1068, in the 2009 NHL Semifinals).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2018-19 NHL regular season, the Washington Capitals finished five points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes. From 1939 through the 2018 NHL Finals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by five regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 27-15 (.643) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1388 is the 44th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Washington Capitals, and the 14th for the Carolina Hurricanes. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Washington Capitals have an all-rounds series record of 18-25 (with an active four-series winning streak befitting a defending NHL champion), a Preliminary-round series record of 12-12 (with an active four-series winning streak), and a Game 1 record of 24-19, while the Carolina Hurricanes have an all-rounds series record of 9-4, a Preliminary-round series record of 3-2, and a Game 1 record of 5-8. Series 1388 is the first best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes.