The Carolina Hurricanes Made Excellent use of Slipups by Washington. Mostly.
Despite what can only be described as an abysmal second period, the Carolina Hurricanes did excellent in taking advantage of bad plays. In the first period, we saw an overwhelmingly dominant Hurricanes team pressing the Washington defense. If lady luck had been on the Hurricanes side, the first period could have easily seen a commanding lead for the good guys. Luck, however, was on Samsonov’s side, as he made some ridiculous saves.
Whatever the Hurricanes did in the locker room between the first and second periods tonight, though? It changed the momentum of the game. The commanding presence of the Hurricanes that prevented the Capitals from gaining any worthwhile traction in the first twenty minutes evaporated.
The second period saw the Hurricanes come out and play some of the most timid hockey they’ve played all season. The forecheck was almost non-existent, and the hustle that saw the Capitals’ offensive plays broken up with haste just was not there. Petr was the primary factor in the Hurricanes not finding themselves with a more massive deficit than the two they ended up with.
I imagine that Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour had words to say about the period, as we saw a reinvigorated Hurricanes bench hit the ice for the final frame. Jordan Staal’s goal thirty-nine seconds after puck drop further incited the Canes to action. Action that, unfortunately, would fall just short of drawing the game into overtime.