The Carolina Hurricanes Complete the Sweep Against the Rangers

The Carolina Hurricanes complete the dominant sweep.

The Carolina Hurricanes Swept the New York Rangers in the Qualifying Round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs to be the first team into the playoffs via the Qualifiers.

Despite a talented roster and a regular-season sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Rangers could not hold off the Canes, who completed a dominant sweep this evening to advance to the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes may be as complete of a team as they ever have been, in large part thanks to the depth that the organization boasts. This depth has been the obvious difference-maker in the series led by newcomers Brady Skjei, Sami Vatanen, and Vincent Trocheck.  These newcomers to the Carolina Hurricanes have acclimated to the team and excelled in their positions with this series.

At the same time, young forwards Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are developing into elite stars at warp speed. Svechnikov completed the first Canes’ playoff hat trick in team history on Tuesday, and Sebastian Aho dominated tonight’s game with two dazzling points.

In front of the net, Petr Mrazek and James Reimer could not be beaten. The unlikely duo entered the playoffs with confidence, and kept the Canes ahead on the scoreboard despite excellent efforts by the Rangers in all three games.

In June, I wrote about three reasons that the Carolina Hurricanes will defeat the New York Rangers in the Qualifying Round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let’s revisit that article and see how the Canes played a well-rounded series.

Learning from Regular Season Mistakes

The Carolina Hurricanes kept pucks out of the net.

Rebound control was something that the Carolina Hurricanes struggled with throughout the season. Whether goals resulted in teams capitalizing off of rebounds or pucks left behind the blue line that was not cleared quickly enough, this was a problem that the team had trouble shaking.

For the qualifying round series against the Rangers, not only was the rebound control of both Petr Mrazek and James Reimer excellent, but each defensive duo on the ice was committed to seeing the puck out of the zone.

This is encapsulated in a moment that will live in infamy in Canes’ history and on NHL highlight reels for years. James Reimer makes a beautiful butterfly save but then loses the puck in the chaos. Jaccob Slavin and Sami Vatanen are instrumental in keeping the puck out of the net, as Sami Vatanen blocks the last shot attempt with his shoulder behind Reimer who is out of the net.

Although Reimer and Mrazek certainly had their moments where they were tested, the Canes’ blueliners excelled in cutting off offensive chances for the Rangers before they could start. The Rangers were held to four total goals in three games.

Among the defensive standouts was newcomer Sami Vatanen. Because Vatanen was set to debut in the qualifying round, fans were skeptical about the impact the former New Jersey Devil could make. I am pleased to say that not only did Vatanen excel in the qualifying round, he certainly made a case for a contract based on this performance.

Offensively, Vatanen acquired three assists in three games. This makes him third on the scoring leader board for the Canes in the 2020 playoffs.  Defensively, the play above is just one example of how Vatanen made himself known in every play.  He averaged 20:05 minutes on ice, sharing the top line spot with Jaccob Slavin.

Next up, we revisit the key to offensive production.

Optimus Reim and King Petr

The Carolina Hurricanes goalie duo is the unlikely heroes of the Series.

The goalie duo of Petr Mrazek and James Reimer gained the frustration of many fans during the regular season, myself included. Some stretches included flashes of greatness by both netminders, but frustration occurred when the netminders just didn’t seem to be getting it done for stretches of games.

However, for the qualifying round, nothing can be further from the truth. The entire team was buzzing for the first two games, and when Mrazek was tested he was ready to keep pucks out of the net. The third game was special for Reimer, however, because without Optimus Reim holding down the net game three could have had a very different result.

Mrazek struggled with rebound control during the regular season, but his playoff run thus far has shown an improvement on that front. When he can’t control a rebound, his blueliners have been able to clean up any possibility of an offensive chance from the Rangers.

As Announcer Tripp Tracy repeated several times during game three, Reimer was sharp.  He only allowed one goal in game three, saving 38 shots out of 39 attempts.  Without Reimer’s excellence in the net, the Rangers may have been able to force game four.

More from Cardiac Cane

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• Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
• Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
• The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
• Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes

As uncertain as I was about the Hurricanes goalie situation at the start of the season, I have no doubt that this duo is who the organization needs to complete a deep playoff run. Both goalies are focused, have important wins under their belts, and possess the confidence that comes with a sweep in this qualifying round.

It’s a great time to be a Caniac. The team not only has the depth to continue to shine in the playoffs, but the confidence that comes from a sweep is beyond valuable. Enjoy the victories during the break, and get ready for the First Round Caniacs!

Question for CC Readers: How are you feeling after that fantastic series win? Who do you think the Hurricanes will take on in the next series?