Carolina Hurricanes: Three Keys to Game 2 vs Capitals

The Carolina Hurricanes suffered a 4-2 loss in their first playoff game in a decade; Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the defending Stanley Cup champions, Washington Capitals. Game 2 is right ahead and the Hurricanes should look ahead to pick up a valuable road victory.

Game one is done and over our shoulders. We should look to game two today. However we would be remiss if we didn’t take a quick look behind us and take some lessons learned from our first playoff loss since Westlife was still a popular boy band.

In the first period alone, the Hurricanes saw a 3-0 deficit against the Capitals with tallies from Washington’s top line; Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, two of the goals coming from the power-play. The Capitals went two-for-two on the power-play in the first period.

In the second period, the Hurricanes limited the Capitals to few high-chance opportunities and kept the Capitals to only five shots. Although the Hurricanes had eight shots and good chances, Braden Holtby stood strong and made miraculous saves to keep Washington ahead with three goals to none.

The third period, the Hurricanes came out strong as Andrei Svechnikov would not only tally his first career playoff goal, but also his second in his first National Hockey League season. Playoff Svech is looking to be a very real thing.

https://twitter.com/NHLCanes/status/1116517996128808960

Although the Hurricanes were able to get the game within one to tie it, unlike what the Columbus Blue Jackets did to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their series, the comeback came up short and one of two opportunities to get a win on the road early to get momentum is gone.

So, what needs to change in the second opportunity for Game 2 at Capital One Arena?

Well, here are the three keys to ensuring a victory in Game 2 before they come back home to Raleigh on Monday:

1. Take No Prisoners

Although the calls from the referees in Game 1 were questionable, especially in the first period. The Hurricanes cannot take this team lightly. Whether or not, the Hurricanes decide to play the body, the Capitals will.

In Game 1, the Capitals continued to block quality shots, finish checks, and commit penalties that went undetected by the referees. Tom Wilson has made himself visible early on in this series. This is how Stanley Cup Playoff hockey is played.

The Carolina Hurricanes may have had 37 hits to the Washington Capitals’ 35 hits, but they did not take the crowd out of it very often. The Hurricanes need to finish checks and ensure their checks are intended to hurt or force a juicy turnover.

If the Hurricanes can finish and take players off their feet, they will not only silence the crowd at Capital One Arena, but also boost the adrenaline of teammates on the bench and on the ice. After all, who doesn’t enjoy watching their players take full advantage of an opponent not keeping their head up.

The Hurricanes also need to stand up for their teammates and take no prisoners. Nino Neiderreiter and Sebastian Aho were handled to the ice way too often in Game 1 and that will kill a forward’s confidence. Justin Faulk and Michael Ferland were satisfactory in finishing checks and tagging players back for prior checks. Two players will not be enough though, the whole team needs to pitch in.

2. Smart Special Teams

The Carolina Hurricanes’ power-play and penalty-kill was abysmal in Game 1. In the first period, they allowed the Capitals to go 100% on the power-play, giving up two-for-two. The penalty-kill improved in the two periods after. The Carolina Hurricanes had three power-plays and had nothing to show for it, getting no goals on all three.

On multiple occasions, the Capitals did not even have to clear the puck for the penalty-kill, the Hurricanes would incidentally do it for them. Making bouncy passes back to the point that eludes the players at the point and having to go back and regain entry and set up a play.

Successful 5-on-5 play will not be enough, there will be many opportunities for both teams with the extra man to change the tone of the game. With Svechnikov being on fire to score two even-strength goals to get the Hurricanes within one, the decision to not put the focused Andrei Svechnikov on the power-play was questionable.

The penalty-kill was atrocious in the first period, we were there. Like it or not, the Capitals power-play is molded around their captain, Ovechkin. His spot is obvious enough and players need to make note of him, while also respecting the other players on the Capitals power-play as they are dangerous, as well.

To say the least, the Hurricanes penalty-kill actually looked excellent in the later periods of the game. They had quality chances. They held onto the puck and wasted extra seconds before clearing it. If they had space, they took it and used their speed to their advantage to create short-handed chances. That said. Stay. Out. Of. The. Box.

The Hurricanes power-play has the potential to be deadly and we have to expect it will only get better, as the mistakes help to construct this young team.