After earning a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 1, the Carolina Hurricanes snatched home ice advantage from the Washington Capitals. Despite an overwhelming edge in play, the Canes trailed 1-0 until Logan Stankoven scored halfway through the third period to force overtime. Jaccob Slavin didn't wait to play the hero, scoring just over three minutes into overtime to win the game.
Jack Roslovic returned to the lineup for the first time since Game 3 against New Jersey, replacing Mark Jankowski after he left Tuesday's game in the second period. Frederik Andersen was in the net for the Hurricanes. Washington's only lineup change was scratching Ryan Leonard for Taylor Raddysh. Logan Thompson was back between the pipes after a phenomenal opening game.
You'd be forgiven if you felt Game 2's start mirrored Game 1's to an eerie degree. The Hurricanes continued to throw everything they could at the net, while the Capitals were hemmed in their defensive zone for long stretches. The Canes drew the evening's first power play, but nothing was cooking for the visitors.
After the final commercial break of the period, the Capitals started to find their game a little more. They spent more time in their offensive zone, making the Canes play on their heels. The period ended without any goals, but Jalen Chatfield took a late hooking penalty, giving the Capitals a chance to start the second period on the man advantage.
The carryover penalty didn't hurt the Canes, but some friendly fire did. Sean Walker's aerial attempt caught Shayne Gostisbehere in the side of the head. Connor McMichael was the first to spot the loose puck heading toward Frederik Andersen. McMichael split the defense, including a staggered Gostisbehere, to beat Andersen on a breakaway early in the frame and open the scoring.
The Capitals played their best period of the series in the second, forcing the Hurricanes to turn the puck over more than they had in the previous 4+ periods. Anthony Beauvillier nearly capitalized on an especially bad turnover, hitting the side of the net with Andersen out of position. Both sides earned their second power plays of the night, but neither scored as the Caps maintained their lead.
The Canes' perfect penalty kill fell early in the third period as the Capitals extended the lead. Brent Burns sat for hooking, allowing John Carlson to bury a beautiful passing sequence less than two minutes in. However, the Canes' power play notched its first of the series midway through. Gostisbehere was on the spot to blast a shot past Thompson to break the shutout.
The Hurricanes continued their push through the remainder of the third period but couldn't find a solution to beat Thompson a second time. Tom Wilson buried one into the empty net with one minute left, providing the dagger. The Capitals' netminder shut the door on the remaining chances, allowing Washington to even the series with a 3-1 victory.
This was the type of response I expected from the Capitals in Game 2. It took them until the second period to get to their game, and they had the Canes reeling during the middle frame. Carolina was fortunate to get out of the period down by just one goal. The power play goal to begin the third period was a big moment in the contest, providing the insurmountable tally.
During the second period, I said that I don't typically hate on Brent Burns as much as the average Hurricanes fan. His performance on Thursday was baffling to me. He fumbled the puck way too many times in this game, giving Washington dangerous chances. One particular play made him take a penalty, which ended up in the back of the net. He has to be better. There's no other way around it.
Another thing we need to see is more production from the top guys. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each found the scoresheet with helpers on Shayne Gostisbehere's goal, but they aren't excused from this. Three goals in two games isn't a sustainable model for success. They played well enough defensively for two goals to be enough in Game 1. It can't become the norm the rest of the way.
Let's not pretend that the sky is falling after losing this game. The Hurricanes still sit in a good spot heading back to Raleigh for the next two games. A split in D.C. was about as good as we could've hoped for, especially since the Hurricanes haven't led for a second of this series. Part of the problem is that they haven't had much puck luck, hitting a postseason-high 14 posts and crossbars.
Game 3: The series enters the friendly confines of the Lenovo Center, starting with the third game on Saturday night. While having the crowd behind them will be important, Washington isn't going to roll over. The Capitals had the second-most road wins in the league this season, though they failed to win in Raleigh during the regular season. Saturday night is going to be electric.