Carolina Hurricanes: Force Game 7 against the Capitals

The Carolina Hurricanes have forced a game seven against the current Stanley Cup champions. Here are the three main takeaways from a night of comebacks at PNC Arena.

Don’t call it a comeback.

The lyrics to LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out” perfectly fits this team and what they had accomplished last night at PNC Arena against their old but new arch-nemesis, the Washington Capitals.

It’s been a while since we could truly call another team our arch-nemesis. A while since we have developed such rich storylines filled with such emotions and passion. That is what we have missed over the course of the last decade by missing out on the postseason. Say what you will about the current playoff format, but this is exactly what it is supposed to create.

It has more than accomplished that. In a game six elimination game for the Carolina Hurricanes they stepped up in a game where they needed to win. They also created some bad blood and some enemies along the way. From “the fight” between Alex Ovechkin and Andrei Svechnikov, to Warren Foegele the hero for the Carolina Hurricanes and the Devil for the Washington Capitals.

There is just so much to unpackage from this game that we would never see in a regular season game. Take for example this attempted hit on Dougie Hamilton by Ovechkin. Dougie side steps like a ninja on ice and lets Ovechkin go tumbling solo into the boards. Ovechkin, slow to get up, stumbles up to the Carolina bench and flaps his arms like a chicken at them.

That is absolutely rich. I am talking cheesecake from whole foods rich. But this is what we are getting in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This only happens because this is a best out of seven series. Otherwise there would have been handshakes on saturday and we would not have been given another chance to break the standards set in this series and the magnitude of a game seven.

But thats not even a real takeaway from the game played last night, just the circumstances and the evidence that NHL hockey is the greatest sport on earth. One night you are blown out of a game 6-0 and your backs are to the wall and the next you are the one putting up 5 or more goals and setting up a winner takes all. What did we actually take away from the game though?

Opportunities Were Created

Take a moment and enjoy the picture above. Drink it in. There is a lot to unpack there. Savoir it.

Okay, now take into consideration the effort it took to get to that moment. The eventual game winning goal. (Not according to Capitals fans, but we can get to that later.) Jordan Staal on the ice doing his customary celebration scream of the nine terrors. Brock McGinn, the first to see the puck in the net, skating around and jumping up and down. Justin Williams cheering his comrades on.

None of that happens without the hard work and dedication of the seconds and minutes that lead up to this goal. None of it happens without the fore-check that leads up this goal and the goal before that scored by the greatest finnish duet to ever grace the ice. Just look at the effort it took from Sebastian Aho to get Teuvo Teravainen the equalizing goal only two minutes into the second:

Beautiful is right. This is where everything changed for everyone in the building. The Washington Capitals fans will tell you otherwise (and we promise we will get to that), but it was in that moment, just like after Foegele goal, that all bets were off. There was nothing that this team cannot accomplish after scoring like that.

Even after playing stalemate hockey for the rest of the period and taking a tie into the third, Carolina was in charge. They controlled the play. Even after what would have been a magnificent goal by Justin Williams was called back to due to a high stick, the momentum didn’t shift the other way (put a feather into this statement right here for later.)

The third period started just like the second, with the Carolina Hurricanes coming on top and controlling the play on the ice. And just like that the first lead change of the entire series came off the magnificent goal from Jordan Staal pictured earlier. You know what’s even better than that picture? The video and John Forslund’s call:

If you do not get chills watching this, than I have no words for you. That was all the goals needed in this game. Even if Capitals fans and players disagree (I swear I will get to the no goal call on Ovechkin, just give me a minute) Justin Williams set the tone straight with a beautiful blind deflection past Braden Holtby‘s five hole that guaranteed a game 7.

Holtby scurried to the bench late in the third to allow an extra attacker and Dougie Hamilton took care of that too to put an exclamation point on the game and how the outcome would not be decided by the officials. No matter how bad they were.

“I’m going insane, Startin’ the hurricane, Releasin’ pain, Lettin’ you know, You can’t gain or maintain, Unless you say my name.” Well said LL Cool J, once again.

Discipline Will Win the Series

Another Kodak moment. Ovechkin leaving the game early after having a hissy fit on the ice. But let’s back up a little and talk about what started all this. Yes it is time to talk about the no-goal controversy.

Halfway through the third period the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin thought they had tied the game at three. However the goal was immediately waived off and subsequently reviewed. The call on the ice was no goal for goaltender interference. The officials spoke to the office in Toronto and it was confirmed on the ice.

The issue was that no reason was given. The fans did not care, but Ovechkin wanted to know why his fifth goal of the series did not count. When the officials told him that he shoved Mrazek’s pad out of the way to get at the puck, he lost it, continuously informing the officials that the call was “F**king Bulls**t” several times.

Now as the Captain of the team, it is his right to express his issues with the officials. But to do so so repulsively drained whatever patience the officials had for the Russian superstar. Was it a goal? I honestly have no idea. Does it matter? Well according to Ovechkin it that goal would have given the momentum back to Washington and instead Carolina got the momentum back to score twice more.

I would disagree. The biggest opponent on the ice against the Washington Capitals last night were the Washington Capitals. They played a very undisciplined game. The officials tried to swallow their whistles for most of the night as well. There were blatant holding of the stick by Holtby (pictured below) that went uncalled as well as many many slashes and other penalties, on both teams.

I love this picture. Holty is holding onto the tick with both hands as if he were trying to stop Justin Williams from leaving the Capitals two years ago. Its over Holtby, do like Elsa and LET IT GO. Figuratively and literally. What completes this picture is the fact that the official is RIGHT THERE. They tried to keep this game going. Carolina complied. Washington did not.

The Capitals committed six penalties during the game, Carolina only got called for three. Carolina’s crimes were the kind that happens during intense play. A couple of high sticks and a hold. Washington committed a bit more conscious penalties to include a couple of slashes, a hook, and some unsportsmanlike conduct in response to the hold by Carolina.

Our favorite of the night however belongs to everyone’s favorite wedding dancer, Alex Ovechkin. Still upset with the no goal and somehow convinced that it was all a conspiracy to bring him down, he takes a liberal slash at Saku Maenalanen who simply ignores him as the refs raise their arms for the final time of the night.

Ovechkin did not like the fact that he was under a microscope and mocked the officials with some golf clapping along with what some words that I am certain is not the recipe to the famous big fish pie he brings to the weddings :

Children, when life has you down, don’t get mad, get even. Carolina did exactly that. They evened the series at three wins apiece. Ovechkin got mad and was subsequently told he couldn’t play anymore that night. Stay humble. Stay out of the box. Because that is how you win games, thats how game seven will be won.

As LL Cool J says: “Don’t call it a comeback. I’ve been here for years”

Question for CC Readers: What are your predictions for game 7?