3rd Period Takeaways
Goaltending
Petr Mrazek made big time saves early in the third after seeing some chances, but not a lot of volume. Mrazek was a big reason of keeping Toronto off of the score sheet in the first half of the third. The Leafs were getting chance after chance and Mrazek just kept shutting it down. This has been the Mrazek magic we have all become familiar with. He wanted to prove himself as a number one goalie and he has done that and beyond.
Insurance
Jordan Staal gave the Hurricanes and insurance goal with about 10 minutes left in the third. Staal was coming off the bench as the Hurricanes were changing and Niederreiter found him in the slot where Staal just ripped it passed Sparks. This was huge for the Canes as the Leafs were building off of momentum gained from their power play goal in the second. Also, this was key in securing the victory as the Hurricanes have been struggling to finish games as of late.
https://twitter.com/NHLCanes/status/1113258103200374784
Not Letting Up
After getting the insurance goal, the Hurricanes controlled the game from there on out. The Leafs had a couple opportunities, but the Hurricanes had the answers. With about two and a half minutes left in the game Sparks was pulled and the Hurricanes completely shut down the Leafs offense and had most of the chances during the empty net scenario. The Hurricanes eventually got an empty net goal from Dougie Hamilton, after Brock McGinn‘s was disallowed for offside.
Recap
Overall the Hurricanes scored goals when they needed them, had timely saves and plays on defense, and had a huge challenge that completely changed where this game was going to go. The Hurricanes showed the desperation they needed to keep their playoff dreams alive. Dougie Hamilton is the hottest Canes player right now and can pose as a huge threat to opponents moving forward.
Question for CC Readers: What was the most important factor in the Hurricanes getting two points in Toronto?