Just as I did before the Ottawa series, I outlined five keys for the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of their series with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2nd Round. So, just like the 1st Round, it only makes sense to look at how those keys held up after the Canes finished the Flyers in four games. While far from perfect, I'd say things held up decently well.
For this series, I covered a few different areas. From the Canes getting their top line and their power play going from repeat performances on defense and in the net, few areas weren't touched when previewing this series. The Canes checked most of the boxes on the back end, but their offense still isn't as crisp as I'd like, outside of the Stankoven line.
1. The top line didn't get rolling, but they showed flashes throughout
Through two rounds, Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis have combined for just 11 points in eight games. That the Hurricanes have swept both rounds without much from their top producers has been amazing. While Aho leads the trio with four points this postseason, he had the fewest points among the group this round, with just one assist in Game 3.
Svechnikov led the top line with three points. He broke his pointless stretch by using his skate to break up a pass, leading to a goal by Logan Stankoven. The primary assist on that goal belonged to Jarvis. He finally broke into the goal column in Game 2, scoring the tying goal in the third period. In Game 3, Svechnikov came to life, recording an assist and a goal on the power play.
2. The power play remains a work in progress
As I said before this series, these first two keys are very intertwined. If the top line got rolling, it would only be a matter of time before the power play, in particular the first unit, did the same. It still didn't get to the point of impressing, finishing 3-for-22 in the series. During the opening games in Raleigh, the only goal with the man advantage came from Nikolaj Ehlers on the second unit.
The top unit finally broke their 0-fer in Game 3, scoring twice as part of a 2-for-9 effort. Jordan Staal and Svechnikov scored the goals, with Svechnikov contributing to both goals. Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere set up Svechnikov in the third period. The group finished with a 0-for-3 performance in Game 4, but the looks were there. They'll need to find a way to be lethal in the conference finals.
3. Zegras and other leaders were largely kept in check
Moving into what the Hurricanes did well, their defense against the Flyers' most dangerous players was outstanding. Sure, Trevor Zegras tied for the team lead in points. However, he only scored two points in the series. He didn't find the scoresheet until his goal in Game 3 before adding an assist in Game 4. The Canes had him visibly frustrated throughout, much like Tim Stutzle in the 1st Round.
Part of the success can be attributed to the Flyers failing to convert on their most dangerous chances. Take Travis Konecny, for example. His only point in the series was an assist in Game 4 despite breakaway chances in Games 2 and 3, the former of which would've won the game in overtime. As a team, the Flyers had five goals and ten points. Their offense was stifled the entire way.
4. Andersen outdueled Vladar almost every step of the way
Coming into the series, Frederik Andersen had been the best goalie in the league during the opening round. Dan Vladar was outstanding in his own right against the Penguins, albeit human in their two losses. We were getting another excellent goaltending matchup, and for the most part, that's what we got. However, the distance between Andersen and Vladar was far greater than Andersen's to Ullmark.
The only game that I could say that Vladar was better than Andersen was Game 4, when the workload for the two was skewed far in Vladar's favor, and he made 37 saves. However, Andersen earned a shutout in Game 1, made 33 straight stops in Game 2 to earn the overtime win, and looked nearly unbeatable in Game 3. He remains the top goalie halfway through.
5. The Canes' experience proved to be the biggest factor
Before the series, I said that the Hurricanes needed to look like the team that had been here before. From start to finish, that's exactly what they looked like. They didn't look like a team that had been off for a week when the puck dropped for Game 1, and they kept that same intensity until the final goal was scored in Game 4. There were some rough moments in between, but nothing to derail their ride.
It was like they knew what to do at each turn. They turned the little adversity that they faced throughout the series in their favor to earn comeback wins. Even the young players in the Canes' lineup looked like seasoned veterans when the games got tight. The images that will remain in my mind are their reactions to the Flyers late during Game 3. They weren't fazed. They were in control.
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