Power Play On The Rebound For The Hurricanes? Yes!
By Chris Baker
The Carolina Hurricanes’ power play, in an intentionally small sample size, has been making the best of the man advantage. With two goals in two games, these goals have been crucial in keeping the Canes in games. While Carolina won both, they had to battle for 60 minutes in both games.
Going into the third period tied at one against San Jose, the Hurricanes would need an extra man goal just to tie.
Unlike San Jose, the Canes would not need their power-play goal as much but made beating Boston 4-1 much more comfortable.
In their 5-4, OT win against the San Jose Sharks the power play was one for two but Sebastian Aho’s goal early in the third period put the Hurricanes on top of the Sharks at 19:48 with 1:39 left on a power play left over from the second period.
It would take San Jose 6 minutes to draw even to the Canes. Most of that time saw the Canes with the puck in the San Jose zone protecting the lead. While it would take two goals in less than two minutes for Carolina to tie up from a 4-2 score, the power play goal did keep the game within reach for the Canes.
Against the Boston Bruins, the Carolina Hurricanes were also one for four but again that single goal put the Hurricanes in the lead (2-0) and allowed Carolina to put Boston on their heels.
Through two periods Boston had four penalties, three in the second alone. During the second power play of the middle 20 minutes, Paul Statsny scored at 12:05 with an assist from Necas and Burns. Even with only one power play goal, the Canes kept the pressure (and the lead) on Boston to suppress their scoring potential. This two-goal lead was certainly not comfortable as Boston is the best team in the NHL in the third period.
Fantastic goals from Seth Jarvis and Jordan Staal in the final frame were all that the Hurricanes needed to hand Boston their second loss in two days.
You do not have to look beyond the last two games to see the anemic numbers from the Carolina Hurricanes power play, but within this ever so small of a sample the power play has been pushing the Canes into positions to win.
Both wins have moved the Canes further from the second place New Jersey Devils who are, after the Canes’ win against Boston, four points behind. At this point in the season, any win is a one more win than you had the day before and builds momentum going forward into the Stanley Cup playoffs.