WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals were just under two minutes from overtime. But in a flash, their strong third period fell apart, and a furious rally wasn't enough to save the season.

Anthony Beauvillier scored, but ultimately, Carolina got the better of D.C. as the Capitals fell 3-1 and were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five games.

Here are all the takeaways.

Logan Thompson Helps Keep Capitals In It While They Found Their Footing, But It's Not Enough

As was the case all series long, the Capitals couldn't get much going offensively, and this time, it cost them the season.

Despite a fast-paced start, the Capitals gave up the first goal, with Jordan Staal beating Logan Thompson to make it 1-0. Instead of filtering, Washington fought back, and Anthony Beauvillier went hard to the net and cashed in to tie it off an errant bounce.

While the Hurricanes upped the pressure, Thompson stayed composed, turning aside several Grade-A chances and making a number of highlight-reel stops, including a desperation stick save on a wide-open layup for Logan Stankoven.

Thompson finished the night with 19 saves on 21 shots and did what he could, but it wasn't enough as a late shot from Andrei Svechnikov sealed the deal.

Capitals Find New Life In Third Period, But Svechnikov Ices Series

Managing just five shots through the first 40 minutes of play, the Capitals knew they had to be better with their season depending on it. They stepped up and delivered with a monster of a third period.

The Capitals were all over Carolina to open the final frame, outshooting the Hurricanes while generating several chances on Frederik Andersen.

Meanwhile, Washington did a good job of limiting Carolina's breakouts and time in the offensive zone, only giving up three shots through the third.

Then, in the final minutes, the Capitals' play started to dwindle, and with 1:59 minutes left, Andrei Svechnikov called game on a sharp-angle shot that caught Thompson while he wasn't hugging his post.

McMichael Shows Worth At Center

Facing elimination, the Capitals changed up their lines and made a big change, plugging in Connor McMichael as the third-line center for Lars Eller. Though he didn't play center all season, it's his natural position, and he fit in seamlessly while helping spark a stronger performance for the third line.

McMichael carried the puck efficiently and generated some good looks, while also helping balance out that line and get more offense going. The only area he struggled in was the face-off dot, but that was to be expected given he wasn't playing that role all season long.