Because of how excited we were to see the Carolina Hurricanes back in the playoffs and eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round, I think we often overlook their second-round matchup with the New York Islanders. It might also be because of how quickly the Canes won that series, so let's talk about it today.
The Canes brought their decade-long postseason drought to a halt with some exciting fireworks at the end of the regular season, and they followed it by joining their fellow Wild Card qualifiers in eliminating the four division champions in the opening round. The Caniacs were getting more hockey, so Raleigh was abuzz about the upcoming clash.
The Islanders were nearly the Canes' opponents in the first round, missing out on the division crown by one point. Instead, they faced the Pittsburgh Penguins to get things started. New York made quick work of the Penguins, allowing just six goals in a four-game sweep. Turnabout is fair play because the Canes clearly had a similar idea on their minds.
#19: For the first time in team history, the Canes brought out the brooms
It's important to note that the Hurricanes weren't healthy to begin the series. Andrei Svechnikov was still nursing a concussion after his fight with Alex Ovechkin in the first round, Micheal Ferland hadn't played since Game 3 of the Washington series, and Jordan Martinook was on the shelf to start the second round. As the underdogs, the Canes weren't starting on the best foot.
As we expected, Game 1 featured little scoring. The Islanders had just allowed one goal in three consecutive games, so the Canes knew they'd have to earn every bounce they got. At the same time, the Hurricanes weren't giving us anything either. The chances were plentiful, but neither goalie was willing to budge. Through 60 minutes, Petr Mrazek and Robin Lehner were perfect.
It's almost a shame that either goalie had to give one up, but I'm happy that it was Lehner and not Mrazek. Just over four minutes into overtime, Nino Niederreiter threw a shot at the net, missing the mark. However, it popped off the boards and came right to Jordan Staal. With Lehner down, Staal found some space between his skate and the post, putting it home to take Game 1 on the road.
While they had the lead in the series, the Canes kept collecting injuries like they were Pokémon. Early in Game 2, Trevor van Riemsdyk took a hit from Cal Clutterbuck, and it knocked him out for the remainder of the postseason. The Islanders picked up the first goal, too. Mathew Barzal's attempted pass hit Jaccob Slavin's stick and deflected into the net, giving New York the icebreaker.
The hits kept coming for the Canes. Mrazek came up lame after moving from side-to-side, forcing him out of the game early in the second period. Curtis McElhinney took his place, and he put in a fantastic relief effort for the group. However, the offense still hadn't mustered anything through 40 minutes, sending the Canes into the third down by one.
It's like a switch flipped on for the Canes when they came out for the third period. Warren Foegele needed just 17 seconds to snipe one top-shelf on Lehner to break the shutout. 48 seconds later, Niederreiter tipped Teuvo Teravainen's shot home to give the Canes the lead. That's all they'd need. This quick spurt and 17 saves from McElhinney sent the Canes home with a 2-0 series lead.
With reinforcements coming, the Canes finished the job at home
Back in Raleigh for the next two games, the Canes might've lost a few players in Game 2, but they were getting some back for Game 3. Svechnikov and Martinook re-entered the lineup, giving the group a little more offensive firepower. McElhinney was back in the net for his first start of the postseason, hoping to get the Canes one step closer to the conference finals.
For two periods, everything that the Canes did was matched by the Islanders. Teravainen opened the scoring early in the first, but Devon Toews responded on the power play less than two minutes later. In the second, Justin Faulk came out of the penalty box and scored on his backhand, resulting in one of the loudest crowd pops I've ever heard. Unfortunately, Josh Bailey quickly answered.
Midway through the third, the Canes found the difference maker. Sebastian Aho knocked down Lehner's pass behind his cage. He found Justin Williams in front of the net, and the captain willed it home, pushing the Canes ahead midway through the third. Teravainen and Aho added goals into the empty net to make it look easier than it was, moving one win away from advancing with a 5-2 win.
A desperate New York team took the ice for Game 4, knowing they were one loss away from watching their season end. They responded by getting the first goal. Barzal beat McElhinney on the power play 2:30 into the game, giving the Islanders their first lead since Game 2. They clearly weren't aware that this was all about the Canes.
Aho responded 2:14 later with a power-play goal of his own. He knocked home a rebound at the side of the net, drawing the Canes even. The series came down to the Canes' outburst in the second period, leaving little doubt. Teravainen and Greg McKegg scored 66 seconds apart, chasing Lehner from the game, and Williams added a third goal in a little under seven minutes to expand the lead.
Svechnikov added one last goal for insurance purposes, though Brock Nelson felt that he needed to get the last goal of the series with a little over a minute left to play. Regardless, the final horn sounded, finishing the first sweep in franchise history with another 5-2 victory. For the first time since 2009, the Canes were heading to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Of course, the Canes' run came to just as quick an end against the Bruins, but we'll always have the first two rounds to fondly remember. This series was a testament to the team's "next man up" mentality, a sentiment that has long been associated with Carolina under Rod Brind'Amour. Despite their injuries, the Carolina emerged as the top team in the Metropolitan Division in 2019.
While no one on the roster had a ground-breaking series, with the scoring being fairly even throughout the lineup, the Canes' goaltending was outstanding. Petr Mrazek got it started with his shutout in Game 1, and Curtis McElhinney finished the job when Mrazek went down. In four games, they combined to post a .957 save percentage and a 1.23 GAA, allowing just five goals.
The Canes' sweeps are all pretty low on my list. It's not that they weren't exciting, because this series had a few big moments. It's just that there wasn't much of a story to be told. The Canes overcame their share of adversity throughout, but I think there are more appealing stories to be told. Still, you never forget your first sweep.
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