25 Clutch Goals in Carolina Hurricanes History (Part 3: #5-1)
#5: May 9, 2002- The Hurricanes Find Their (Molson) Miracle
After a tough series win over the Devils in the first round, the Carolina Hurricanes found themselves in a tough spot against Montreal. In Montreal and trailing 2-1 in the series, the Canadiens jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two periods to try and put a stranglehold on the series. Jose Theodore had been a brick wall, and the Canes were running out of time. The Hurricanes slowly started to claw their way back into the game in the third period. Sean Hill broke the shutout with a 5-on-3 goal less than four minutes in. With just over seven minutes left, Bates Battaglia clapped another home from outside of the right dot. While they’d closed the deficit to one goal, Montreal remained strong. With Arturs Irbe on the bench, the Canes threw the kitchen sink at Theodore. The puck was thrown at the front of the net, and the only person that saw it was Erik Cole. He scooped up the loose puck and slid it into the open net to tie the game and send shockwaves through the Molson Centre. The now-famous “Molson Miracle” would be capped off by Niclas Wallin in overtime as the Canes took Game 4. As part of the third-period onslaught, Cole’s goal would completely shift the series. After evening things with this improbable comeback, the Canes would eliminate the Habs in six games by outscoring them 13-3 in the final two.
#4: May 8, 2006- Eric Staal Haunts the Devils
Since relocation to North Carolina, no team has felt the wrath of the Carolina Hurricanes more than the New Jersey Devils. The Canes have won four of the five meetings in the postseason, with a few series being very one-sided. The 2006 meeting was one such occasion. The Devils came into the playoffs on an 11-game winning streak and had just swept the Rangers in the 1st round. That changed after the Canes dominated them in Game 1, winning 6-0. Game 2 was closer as the two teams were stuck in a 1-1 tie as regulation winded down. With 20.7 seconds left, Scott Gomez redirected a Zach Parise shot past Cam Ward, giving New Jersey a late lead as they tried to even the series. After it was reviewed and deemed a good goal, the Canes pushed for a response. Despite losing the draw, the puck ended up in the New Jersey end, allowing the Canes to pounce. A pass to the front of the net with three seconds left found Eric Staal’s stick, and he managed to find some daylight under the pads of Martin Brodeur to tie it again, silencing the New Jersey bench. Staal’s equalizer is tied for the 2nd-latest game-tying goal in NHL postseason history. Once again, Niclas Wallin was the hero in this game, scoring the game-winner in overtime to give the Canes a 2-0 series lead en route to a dominating five-game series win to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
#3: April 26, 2006- The Captain Turns the Series Around
I’ve already talked about Eric Staal’s game-winner in Game 3 against Montreal in 2006, but there’s a more important goal that came before it. Much like Jose Theodore had done during the “Molson Miracle,” Cristobal Huet was keeping the Canes off the board as Montreal looked to take a 3-0 series lead. Fortunately, the Canes hadn’t dug themselves a deep hole in the game, trailing 1-0 after two periods. Nothing had changed by the ten-minute mark, but it wasn’t long after that when Rod Brind’Amour showcased the magic we would see many times during the 2006 playoffs. The captain would poke a Bret Hedican bank pass around Sheldon Souray, and his stick would be just quicker than Craig Rivet’s as he poked the puck between the pads of Huet with 8:33 left in regulation to tie the game. This goal would set into motion a series of events that will forever be immortalized in the annals of team history. Brind’Amour’s goal forced overtime, and Eric Staal would win it on the power play, kickstarting the comeback. Without the captain’s heroics, the hole could’ve become impossible to escape, a familiar feeling we’d have a few times later in the playoffs.
#2: April 28, 2009- The Shock at the Rock
The Devils find themselves on the list again, this time as part of the completion of “The Shock at the Rock.” Jussi Jokinen had tied the game with 1:20 left, setting up what was promising to be a thrilling overtime in Game 7 in New Jersey. The series had gone to overtime twice already. In Game 2, Tim Gleason was the hero for Carolina, while Travis Zajac returned the favor in Game 3 for the Devils. With all of the history the Canes and Devils had created throughout the 2000s, overtime would’ve been a fitting way to end the series. However, no such thing would be required. With plenty of space at the top of the right circle, Eric Staal snapped a wrister past Martin Brodeur with 31.7 seconds left to stun the New Jersey crowd. What looked like a Devils’ series win turned into a Canes’ series win in about 50 seconds. To this day, it remains one of the biggest upsets in team history, and it would help set up another seven-game upset win in the next round as the Carolina Hurricanes knocked off the top-seeded Boston Bruins in spectacular fashion. The Hurricanes had New Jersey’s number during the 2000s, with Staal and Cam Ward haunting the nightmares of the Devils’ faithful.
#1: June 1, 2006- In Rod We Trust
After Cory Stillman’s overtime goal in Game 5 gave the Canes control of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Buffalo Sabres, Daniel Briere scored the overtime winner in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all game at the RBC Center. The stage was set with the awaiting threat of the Edmonton Oilers for whichever team survived. Survival had been the key for both teams in this series. Five of the six games had been decided by one goal. The Canes would strike first as Mike Commodore’s drive, sailing wide of the net, redirected off the skate of Adam Mair and into the net, giving the Canes a 1-0 lead after the first. The 1-0 lead would last until the Sabres scored twice in the final five minutes of the second period, with Joachen Hecht giving Buffalo the lead with five seconds left. Doug Weight tied the game 1:34 into the third period, setting up a dramatic ending to this series. Just past the halfway mark in the period, Brian Campbell would be sent to the box for a delay-of-game penalty. Little did we know this would be a costly mistake. Eric Staal’s initial shot never reached Ryan Miller, and the puck sat loose at the top of the crease for a few seconds. Unbeknownst to Rory Fitzpatrick, it was at his feet. Like the superhero he is, Rod Brind’Amour swooped in and lifted the puck past Miller, pushing the Canes back in front. With Cam Ward keeping the tying goal out and Justin Williams padding the lead in the final minute, the Carolina Hurricanes would capture their second Prince of Wales Trophy. As the story goes, the captain would find more magic in Game 1 against Edmonton and lead his troops to a seven-game victory over the Oilers, giving the franchise their first and only Stanley Cup.