Game 1 didn't quite go as the Carolina Hurricanes expected. They got off to a quick start, courtesy of two goals from Nikolaj Ehlers. However, the Vegas Golden Knights scored three straight before a back-and-forth contest ended in their favor. In Game 2, the Canes needed to make significant adjustments to draw even in the Stanley Cup Final.
Not sweating their mistakes too much, Rod Brind'Amour kept things the same for the second game. The only tweak appeared to be Alexander Nikishin reclaiming his spot on the second power play. Vegas also kept their lineup the same, which made perfect sense. Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart were back between the pipes for their respective teams.
While they didn't immediately score a goal, the start was good for the Canes. Their power play took them out of it a little, though Taylor Hall had a good chance. All it took was one mistake for Vegas to capitalize. Brett Howden outmuscled Sean Walker on an aerial flip, allowing the postseason's leading goal scorer to add to his total. After 20 minutes, despite controlling most of it, Carolina trailed 1-0.
Howden got another for Vegas early in the second period. Just six seconds after a successful Carolina kill, they gave Howden way too much room to enter the zone. He shielded the puck from the entire Carolina defense and slid it past Andersen's outstretched pad to double Vegas' lead. The Golden Knights gave the Canes no room to work, keeping their two-goal lead after two.
It took halfway into the third period for the Canes to finally get on the board. Logan Stankoven got a bounce, having his wrap-around hit Jeremy Lauzon in front of the net to break the shutout. Just under 2:30 later, the fourth line tied it. William Carrier straddled the line and got the puck to Mark Jankowski. He went bar-down on Hart to completely shift the game.
A weird sequence shortly after the goal involving a failed goalie interference call gave the Canes' power play a chance to work. Shayne Gostisbehere's shot from the point was tipped by Jordan Staal, giving the Canes the lead. However, it wouldn't stick. Mark Stone won a battle in front of the net with Hart on the bench, giving Vegas the tying goal and sending Game 2 to overtime.
In overtime, the captain drew a penalty early, and it would prove fatal for Vegas. Great puck movement along the boards eventually left Seth Jarvis wide open in the far dot. He took the one-time pass from Gostisbehere and wired it past Hart. Just like that, the Canes drew even in the Stanley Cup Final, stealing Game 2 with a 4-3 overtime victory.
The power play comes alive at the right moment
Through the first 13 games, two periods, and 55 minutes, the Hurricanes' power play looked dead in the water. The only thing worse than their power play was Vegas'. However, that failed challenge in a 2-2 game must've done something for their confidence. The captain's placement on the power play during the regular season coincided with its turnaround, so it's fitting that he got that first one tonight.
It's crazy, but when Jordan Staal drew the penalty in overtime, I felt like the game was about to end, one way or another. The top guys needed to step up, and that's what they did. Seth Jarvis tied the series. Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov each recorded assists tonight. Shayne Gostisbehere assisted on both power-play goals. The Canes' power play might be back.
There's something about overtime in Game 2
Find someone who loves you as much as the Hurricanes love going to overtime in Game 2 this postseason. For the fourth series in a row, the Canes required extra hockey to win the second game. After the first two rounds, it's purely coincidence. Now that it has happened during every series, I think there's some intent behind it.
It can't be overlooked that the Canes' Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Finals followed a loss in Game 1. Granted, regulation played out differently between the last round and tonight, but this might be the spark that the Hurricanes needed to get into the series. It was certainly the case against Montreal, with the team rattling off four straight wins.
Additional Thoughts
It's almost fitting that the lines that provided the goals to draw the Canes even tonight have been their most consistent lines throughout the playoffs. Logan Stankoven hit double digits with his lucky bounce, and the entire fourth line joined the fun on Mark Jankowski's tying goal. They always find ways to pull the Canes into the fight. This time, it might've saved their season.
A lot was made of Frederik Andersen's start to the game, allowing two goals to Brett Howden on Vegas' first six shots. After that, he was outstanding. I can't give him too much flak on the tying goal late in regulation. He made a stop, but the rebound went right into Mark Stone's hip. Still, Andersen saved the game earlier than that at least twice, including the stop before the challenge.
This game just goes to show that you can't count out this team under any circumstances. This had the potential to be a deflating game with how the first two and a half periods played out. Frankly, it would've been even worse if the Canes had mounted that comeback, taken the lead, blown it in regulation, and lost in overtime. I guess we'll never have to worry about that.
Up Next: The series is heading to The Strip for the next two games, beginning with Game 3 on Saturday night. We'll get a two-day pause between games, with Game 4 coming at us on Tuesday night from T-Mobile Arena. The Canes' win tonight ensured that we're going at least five games, bringing the teams back to Raleigh a week from tonight.
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