Under normal circumstances, the only time that the Carolina Hurricanes and the Nashville Predators would ever meet is in the Stanley Cup Final. Then again, there was nothing normal about the shortened 2021 season. Suddenly, teams in opposite conferences were not only meeting eight times during the season, but they were also meeting in the first round of the playoffs.
While the Hurricanes were winning the newly-formed Central Division, the Predators were locked in a late-season fight to be the fourth team in the playoffs. It came down to Nashville and Dallas, but the Predators prevailed by four points. They beat the Canes to clinch their playoff spot in their penultimate game before adding one more win over Carolina in the season finale.
Those were the only two games that Nashville won in the season series, with Carolina winning the first six, including all four in Raleigh. They had seven players on their roster with more points than Nashville's leading scorer, Roman Josi, during the season, but the Predators owned a slight edge in the net, with Juuse Saros going head-to-head with Calder Trophy nominee Alex Nedeljkovic.
#5: The Canes dominated at home before overtimes became the norm
Game 1 was a momentous occasion for many reasons. First, after months of limited crowds, the doors were opened for more fans in the middle of the pandemic, bringing the playoff atmosphere back after being sorely missed in 2020's bubbles. Second, it was the first time since the 2006 Stanley Cup Final that the Canes were beginning a series at home, giving them the early advantage.
While the crowd was on Carolina's side, the first goal belonged to Filip Forsberg and the Predators. Their lead didn't last long. Teuvo Teravainen redirected Brett Pesce's point shot less than 90 seconds later to tie it up. Jordan Staal picked the corner from a sharp angle early in the second period to give the Canes the lead, but Erik Haula's shot hit a defender in front to tie it again.
After 40 minutes, it was still 2-2, and the Canes were on the hunt. Nino Niederreiter wired a one-timer home after Saros made an excellent stop on the initial chance. Staal's second of the game was a little less flashy, sliding a shot along the ice to beat Saros between his pads. With a two-goal lead, the Canes' defense shut it down. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal for a 5-2 win.
Game 2 was an incredible goalie duel between Nedeljkovic and Saros. The first goal of the game belonged to the Hurricanes on the power play. Svechnikov made a sweet cross-ice pass to Sebastian Aho. He didn't miss with his one-timer, catching Saros a step late on the play. From there, scoring would be at a premium.
Both goalies played out of their minds in the game, but Nedeljkovic was simply perfect. Saros did everything in his power to keep Nashville in the game. The Predators' offense didn't have an answer. Aho scored into the empty net, and Warren Foegele added one more with Saros on the ice for good measure. Nedeljkovic made 32 stops to earn his first postseason shutout in a 3-0 win.
Carolina and Nashville combined for a little history the rest of the way
The Hurricanes did their job at home. Now, they had to go to Nashville to defend their lead. That would be easier said than done. The Predators got it going early when Ryan Ellis broke the ice less than five minutes in. His shot from the wall navigated layers of traffic to beat Nedeljkovic. Aho tied the game late in the period, but Forsberg restored Nashville's lead in the final minute.
The second was much kinder to the visitors. Staal tied the game at two by burying a breakaway past Saros' blocker. Then, Vincent Trocheck scored on the power play, giving the Canes their first lead of the night. Mikael Granlund responded with a 5-on-3 goal to spoil the fun and tie it again. Nashville carried that momentum in the third, regaining the lead on a gorgeous Ryan Johansen tip.
Nashville was approaching its first win in the series until Pesce tied it for the third time with a wrister from beyond the dots. The series was heading to overtime for the first time. After neither team scored in the first overtime, one bad misplay cost Carolina. Jake Bean couldn't handle an aerial pass, allowing Matt Duchene to work the winner past Nedeljkovic and get Nashville in the win column.
Game 4 followed a pattern through the first two periods. Nashville scored an early-period goal. Carolina scored a late-period goal to tie it. In the first, Luke Kunin scored 57 seconds into the game, but Trocheck got it back with 1:57 left. In the second, Johansen stayed red-hot, only for Brock McGinn to get his first of the series with under two minutes left.
McGinn doubled down 13 seconds into the third period, finally pushing Carolina ahead with the fastest goal to begin any period in franchise history. Nick Cousins made sure it was short-lived with a goal on the power play 3:02 later, tying the game at three with plenty of time remaining. Once again, neither side felt they'd played enough hockey, giving us another overtime contest.
While all eyes were focused on who would get the next goal, they were also paying attention to the game that Saros was building as he kept finding ways to stifle the Canes' offense. As the game pushed deeper into the second overtime, his efforts paid off. Kunin ended the night with his second of the game, making Saros' 58-save effort worthwhile in a 4-3 win to tie the series.
With the series anew after Nashville pulled even, Game 5's importance took on new life. This game proved to be more about Yakov Trenin and Martin Necas. Each player scored in the first period before Trenin's second of the night gave Nashville the lead in the second. Necas wouldn't let that stand. With a gorgeous wrap-around goal late in the third, his second of the contest drew Carolina even again.
For the third straight game, 60 minutes weren't enough. After two losses in double overtime, the sooner this game ended, the better for Carolina. To this day, this goal still defies the laws of physics. During a 4-on-4, Pesce's shot was stopped and knocked away. Staal took a swing, but the puck hit Josi's leg and went in. The captain was credited with the goal, and the Canes had a lead once more.
Game 6 was a tale of two halves. Nashville controlled the early portion. Cousins and McGinn traded early goals in the first, but it was the Predators' push early in the second period that earned them a multi-goal lead. Granlund brought them the lead, and Johansen extended it on the power play. As the game passed the halfway point, the Predators led 3-1.
When Aho scored on the power play with a nice redirection at the side of the net, the Canes' comeback had begun. Still, it took them a while to tie it. A beautifully designed face-off play was executed to perfection by the defensemen. Jaccob Slavin corralled the puck, and Dougie Hamilton sprinted to the backdoor for the tap-in with 6:01 left in regulation.
It was only appropriate that the series ended with an overtime game, and it was even nicer that the Canes finished the job early. They needed just 66 seconds. Aho won the draw. Slavin fired the puck. Aho redirected the shot. The Canes won the series. It was an incredibly subtle tip over Saros' shoulder, and the Predators' netminder, for all of his brilliance, stood no chance of stopping it.
This war between the Canes and the Predators became the 18th series in NHL history to feature at least four overtime games, with only two series ever reaching five. However, it joined those two series as the just the third to require four consecutive overtime games, adding another layer of historical context to it. They played a lot of hockey in ten days.
You can go down the list of incredible performances from this series. Both goalies were absolutely brilliant. Jordan Staal played arguably his best series with the Canes until a certain Stanley Cup Final a few years later. Martin Necas and Brock McGinn each had big games. Sebastian Aho was the real star, though, leading the series with five goals and seven points, including three in Game 6.
I talked about the overuse of certain terms earlier this week, including "underrated". I think this series is the most underrated in franchise history. It has the historical aspect with all of the overtime games. It has the beginning of Erik Haula's infamous postseason losing streak. It was incredible action from start to finish. Most importantly, it has the happy ending with Carolina coming out on top.
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