The Anatomy of a Moment: The Carolina Hurricanes Return to the Playoffs After Nearly a Decade
By Ben Huffman
The Swiss Missile provides the dagger
As the game entered the third period, the Hurricanes maintained their 2-1 lead. Meanwhile, in D.C., the Capitals led the Canadiens by the same score after Nic Dowd scored early in the second period to break a 1-1 tie. While the Canes were ahead, the Devils wouldn't go away quietly. New Jersey held a slight lead in shot through two periods, but they would expand it quickly in the third. Still, Petr Mrazek remained a brick wall.
It's almost fitting that Nino Niederreiter would be the man to finish the job for the Hurricanes. He didn't even begin the season in Raleigh. With the Minnesota Wild, Niederreiter hadn't been producing much. The same could be said for former Hurricanes first-round pick Victor Rask. In late January, the two teams came together for a deal, swapping the forwards one-for-one. It's safe to say that Carolina won this deal. Niederreiter hit the ground running, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games.
His 14th goal would prove to be his biggest. Niederreiter skated past Kenny Agostino and elevated his shot over the glove of Cory Schneider with 3:25 left to extend the Canes' lead to 3-1. As the seconds wound down in Raleigh, the same was happening in D.C. Just before the final horn blared at PNC Arena, the Capitals were able to hold off Montreal 2-1 to complete the first half of the scenario. The Devils threw 16 shots on the net in the third period, but none of them beat Mrazek, ensuring the Hurricanes wiped out a decade of frustration with a playoff-clinching 3-1 victory.