The Carolina Hurricanes did not enjoy a good Game 1 in their series-opening win over the New York Islanders. So many times, the Isles could have capitalized on Carolina’s misfortunes, and so many times, the Canes did just enough to deny them, and they can thank the post for its efforts as well.
So, to skate into Game 2 following a 3-1 win is nothing short of lucky for Carolina, and there is no way they can risk repeating what happened on Saturday - except for the final tally. That said, however, the Hurricanes still won and, therefore, built momentum. So let’s look at three ways this optimism will stick around as Game 2 looms, starting with the fact the Canes may have played their so-called “bad game” early.
Hurricanes may have gotten the “bad game” out of the way
In the NHL Playoffs, bad games come with the territory, and Carolina’s performance on Saturday wasn’t its best outing. For such a high-octane team that has a plethora of talent in their top-six and a top-10 scoring unit, the Hurricanes logged just 25 shots on Semyon Varlamov, something uncharacteristic against a team that had given its goaltenders more work than some of the NHL’s rebuilding groups.
There were times when the Canes looked in sync, but there was often a clear disconnect, and it’s something we haven’t seen too much of from Carolina this season. Luckily, they found ways to bounce back, and thanks to their solid third period, the Canes are heading into Game 2, having won a contest they could have easily lost.
But they still need to adjust and skate into Game 2, ready to take open shots and to take them often. If not, they’ll need to claw their way to another hard-fought win, and if New York brings their A-Game again, they will be in danger of losing home-ice advantage.