The Carolina Hurricanes are playing for their lives.

The Hurricanes will look to stave off elimination when they host the Washington Capitals in Game 6.

The Canes trail the best-of-seven First Round series 3-2 after getting shut out, 6-0, in Washington on Saturday.

For a brief moment, Justin Williams got to breathe.

The Carolina Hurricanes had just punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at home.

The Hurricanes adopted a playoff atmosphere in order to push for the better part of the season and rhythmically climb in the Eastern Conference standings.

They had to in order to finally bring an end to a playoff drought that lasted nine long seasons, and it took a lot of out Williams and the Hurricanes.

"It's felt like every game in the last month has been win or go home. That's what it's really felt like," Williams said after game 81. "We've pushed ourselves as hard as we can."

After five games in their First Round series with the Washington Capitals, it is now win or stay home for the Hurricanes, who face a 3-2 series deficit with Game 6 coming up at PNC Arena on Monday.

WASHINGTON - The Carolina Hurricanes' backs are up against the wall.

Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals blanked the Hurricanes by a 6-0 margin in Game 5, and the Canes now face a 3-2 series deficit heading back to Raleigh for Game 6 on Monday. 

Here are five takeaways from Game 5.

RALEIGH, NC - The National Hockey League today announced that the start time for Game 6 of the First Round series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals is 7 p.m. ET on Monday, April 22, at PNC Arena. The game will be televised on FOX Sports Carolinas locally and NBCSN nationally in the U.S. In Canada, the game will be on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

WASHINGTON - Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov sported a yellow, non-contact jersey and a full-face cage at the team's morning skate on Saturday.

He's not quite ready to rejoin the lineup, but he's got his hopes set on a Game 6 return in Raleigh.

"I feel pretty good," he said.

WASHINGTON - The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals are back in D.C. for Game 5 of their First Round series, which is now tied, 2-2.

Aleksi Saarela is the newest face to draw into the lineup, with Jordan Martinook sidelined with a lower-body injury.

GAME 5 PREVIEW

Here is the projected lineup for the Hurricanes based on lines used in Saturday's morning skate.

2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs game previews are presented by Visit Raleigh.

WASHINGTON - It's a brand-new series.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals return to D.C. for Game 5 with their First Round series tied at two games apiece. What began as a best-of-seven series now boils down to a best-of-three.

"We've always believed [we can beat them]. We had lost six straight games to them after Game 2, close ones, albeit," Justin Williams said after Game 4. "Winning Game 3 was big, this one was big and they just keep getting bigger and bigger."

We've got ourselves a series, folks.

After the Washington Capitals took the opening two games of the First Round in D.C., the Carolina Hurricanes claimed the next two games in front of a frenzied crowd at PNC Arena.

The Carolina Hurricanes took an early lead on the Washington Capitals in Game 4 and then fended off their attack for the remainder of the contest in a 2-1 win to even this first-round series at two games apiece.

Warren Foegele and Teuvo Teravainen found the back of the net for the Hurricanes, while Petr Mrazek made 31 saves.

"That was a pretty hairy game. We got nicked up again. I can't say enough about our group. They just battle. Next guy up. Whoever is ready," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We're giving everything we can. Our D were really solid tonight. They really held the fort down, and goaltending came up big at the end. It was a good team effort."

Here are five takeaways from Game 4.

The home team has won the first three games of the first-round match-up between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, and Game 4 is an opportunity for the Canes to even the series at two before it shifts back to Washington for Game 5.

Patrick Brown and Saku Maenalanen are expected to draw into the lineup in place of injured forwards Andrei Svechnikov (concussion protocol) and Micheal Ferland (upper body).

GAME 4 PREVIEW

Here is the projected lineup for the Hurricanes based on lines used in practice on Wednesday.