Quick hitters
–So incredibly happy for Curtis McElhinney. To this day, I do not think the Canes are where they are right now if he is not a stabilizing force in October and November when team was on brink of digging too big of a hold and being eliminated from playoff contention really early.
–The third period was easily the Canes best of this series and also among the best in the playoffs. Even after the Islanders fell down a goal and desperately needed to muster shots and offense, they went >12 minutes without putting the puck on net. The forecheck was in peak form, and the defensemen retrieved and moved pucks well such that the Canes rarely had to defend in the third period.
–Understated story of this game was the depth players. The fourth line was incredibly good, arguably the team’s best, in terms of controlling play. It was unfair that they did not net a goal, but there contribution was huge nonetheless. Haydn Fleury played an uneventful game in a good way in replacing Trevor van Riemsdyk.
–Matching what was happening on the ice, I also thought the third period was at or near peak playoffs in terms of atmosphere, energy and sustained volume.
Carolina Hurricanes game recap
Despite the Hurricanes winning both games 1 and 2 in New York, I said after each game that the Hurricanes would at some point need to re-find a higher gear to win the series. A home game for game 3 set up as a great opportunity for exactly that. And early on, the game looked promising. The Hurricanes started reasonably well and then gained the upper hand on the scoreboard when Teuvo Teravainen scored from literally six inches away, tapping the puck into the net from the far post on yet another Jaccob Slavin assist. At that point the possibility of finding a higher gear looked positive, but the Hurricanes almost immediately lapsed after that giving the Islanders consecutive power plays within the next five minutes. The Islanders scored on the first power play when the Hurricanes three times had the puck on a Canes player’s stick but failed to clear the zone (Pesce X2 and a forward). The result was a tired lot of penalty killers and an Islanders goal. The Hurricanes were pressured again for the second Islanders power play but survived it. The two power plays seemed to swing momentum back to the Islanders. The Hurricanes reverted back to having intermittent puck management issues at the two blue lines. The first period that looked promising early but was not as good in the second half ended with the score tied at 1-1 and shots close to even at 11 to 10 for the Islanders.
The second period started a bit like the first period ended. It is not clear if it was Brind’Amour picking match ups or possibly Trotz opening things up a bit trying desperately to find more scoring, but the middle part of the Wednesday’s game was much more open through the neutral zone than the previous two games. The Hurricanes continued to have intermittent issues managing the puck. The Canes scored next when Warren Foegele made a perfectly-timed aerial pass to Justin Faulk at the offensive blue line just after he had come out of the penalty box. He skated in alone and scored on a pretty finish just up under the bar on his backhand. But the Hurricanes sloppy puck management that was there earlier in the game was still around in the second period. The result was a play that saw both Foegele and Aho mishandle a puck just inside the defensive blue line. The result was a quick transition point and a shot that beat McElhinney to tie the game at 2-2. The Hurricanes continued to have intermittent puck management issues with Aho’s line struggling the most. Each of Aho, Williams and Foegele had blue line turnovers, and as noted above the Isles goal came when Aho and Foegele each failed to clear the puck from barely inside the blue line. The period ended at 2-2 and set the stage for another third period to decide the outcome.
The Hurricanes finally re-found a higher gear in the third period. The front part of the period was a bit back and forth, but as the period wore on the Hurricanes were the better team. The forecheck was the best it has been this series, and the blue line was incredibly good at retrieving and advancing the puck from the defensive zone. As the period wore on, the Hurricanes played less and less defense. Then finally Justin Williams staked the Hurricanes to a 3-2 lead when Aho knocked down a Robin Lehner clearing attempt and quickly fed it to Williams for a quick tally. Then despite having even greater reason to push for shots on net, the Islanders mustered virtually nothing. The Isles went from 14:01 remaining to 3:28 remaining without a shot on net. The Hurricanes defended the one goal lead until a pair of empty-netters sealed the deal. First it was Teuvo Teravainen with 1:02 remaining. Then it was Sebastian Aho with just five seconds remaining.
I stand by what I said on Twitter shortly after the game ended which is that the third period was the best period of hockey that the Hurricanes have played in this series. In addition, the building reached peak playoff level in the third period.
Player and other notes
1) Curtis McElhinney
After starting only one game in April, McElhinney started May with a bang. With the potential to rest Mrazek without significantly impacting the Hurricanes chance to win, I would expect to see McElhinney in net again on Friday.
2) Sebastian Aho’s line
The trio of Foegele, Aho and Williams scored late to lead the way to a win, but otherwise the group struggled at times. Aho turned the puck over multiple times in the neutral zone. Foegele and Aho were both culprits on the Islanders second goal. Credit Aho and Williams for making one huge play when the Canes needed it.
3) The fourth line of Martinook, McKegg and Brown
I really think one could make a case that the fourth line was the team’s best on Wednesday. Martinook, McKegg and Brown regularly played entire shifts in the defensive zone and seemed to be on the brink of scoring a well-deserved goal. The trio did not score but as I said above, might actually have been the team’s best line. Brind’Amour seemed to agree and rewarded them with ice time. McKegg logged 11:30 of ice time, and Patrick Brown logged 9:30.
4) Andrei Svechnikov and Haydn Fleury
I thought both players played well after the layoff. Svechnikov rang the post in the middle of the game and more generally was not hesitant to change his play physically. Fleury also played well. He brought his usual brand of conservative hockey in the form of a big body that can handle the rigors of playoff hockey.
5) Jaccob Slavin
Slavin continued his every-game leadership. He logged 26:12 of ice time which is a lot for a regulation game, and along the way he picked up two more assists to now have 12 in only 10 games.
Up next is a Friday match up against the Islanders.
Go Canes!
Go Canes!
This team continues to dominate in the 3rd period (and OT). Other teams look gassed, while Canes hit another gear. Love it.
Bingo. It takes a lot of energy to forcheck as hard as the Islanders do. When they don’t get a lead and aren’t able to retreat to a defensive squad it gets tough on them in the third.
Wow that was fun. It started out looking like another Tim Peel stinker, but after Faulk scored coming out of the box Peel swallowed his whistle.
And a much better game ensued.
The team stick with their game this time, and we’re rewarded handsomely.
The fourth line was the team’s best in the second half of the game. McKegg was 7 of 9 in the faceoff circle. They could have easily had 3 goals, but more importantly, pinned NYI in their own end and wore them out.
With the emergence of the Checkers, Carolina has more depth in the system than perhaps any other team. Mac got it done last night, and as Williams stated, the team has confidence in Ned too if they need him.
This feels like a magical season, like a team of destiny.
Matt. One thing I saw differently was Aho’s play. I do think playing with Foegele is causing some miscommunication, but otherwise I thought that was the fastest and most aggressive Aho has looked.
On the second Islanders goal Aho overstates a puck that is loose, but he in no way is a “culprit.” Foegele also has a chance for the puck but his hand is hit by Kuhnhackl’s stick–not enough to be a slash but has the same effect. Hamilton and Slavin both inexplicably are skating to the wall even though the puck has not changed possession. It is a quick play with much happening, none of it really good for the Canes.
Otherwise, I would say that Svechnikov looked strong and Martinook’s presence made a difference. The excellent third period saw those two and Aho playing much like they did in February. Which is why the Canes finally looked like the better team.
I’ve been watching hockey a long, long time and played a little bit back in the stone ages, but I don’t know if I have ever seen a team that plays defense in a similar style to the way defensive backs in football play. Cornerbacks read the play and break on a ball for an interception. In hockey, typically it’s all about time and space. Jump on the player with the puck. Atypically, the Canes as a group seem to be able to read the play and intercept the puck instead of targeting and tying up the receiving player. That happens occasionally during any game, but not to the extent it happens with the Canes – as it did in the third period after going up a goal. Some of it certainly is preparation, lots of video and coaching on tendencies and some of it is talent and experience. (I hate the over-used term Hockey IQ). Anyway, it sure is fun to watch but am I wrong that this is a more pronounced style of play with the Canes than you see from any other team? They seem to also be getting stronger as the game goes on and are able to do more of this type technique when the opposition starts to wear down and make slower developing plays.
The second half of the third was fun to watch. Williams’ goal energized the Canes and scared the Isles. They knew they were in trouble and started squeezing their sticks which led to the Canes territorial domination.
Here’s to finishing them off on Friday!