In a double-overtime, game-seven thriller, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Despite early deficits of 2-0 and 3-1, the Hurricanes stormed back with goals by Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Staal and the ultimate game-winner thanks to Brock McGinn to improve to 5-0 all time in game sevens.
Carolina never stopped coming and shocked the Metropolitan division and defending Stanley Cup Champion Capitals in the first road win of the series. A critical penalty kill and a young core that would run through a wall for their coach proved decisive in the winner-take-all final game.
Washington struck first as Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky stole the puck from Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce who lost it in the corner. Burakovsky skated right into the middle of the ice and deftly stickhandled around a sprawling Canes blueliner Trevor van Riemsdyk and sniped it top shelf.
The Hurricanes had an opportunity to equalize the game when Teravainen made an impressive backhand pass to find his linemate Aho in alone, but Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby made the stop.
The Caps instead extended their lead with another early goal a few minutes later after a combination of bad decisions by a pair of Hurricanes blueliners. Washington forward and captain Alex Ovechkin chipped the puck around Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton at the blueline and then dangled past the other Hurricane blueline Jaccob Slavin who had slid across towards Ovechkin taking himself out of the play. Ovechkin then fed fellow Washington forward Tom Wilson on the two on zero and Wilson made no mistake, burying it in.
Carolina got on the board in D.C. for the first time in over 90 minutes of play when in the second period, the Canes penalty kill answered the bell with a shorthanded goal. Aho slammed his stick a few times calling for the puck and Pesce found him up the ice. Aho then took a shot on Holtby and the rebound found its way right back to Aho who wasted no time putting it right back on net beating Holtby to cut the Caps lead to one.
However, soon after, Evgeny Kuznetsov retook the lead for Washington. Carolina got caught with a few bodies in the neutral zone and the Capitals sprung a three on one. Kuznetsov from the middle of the ice went over the blocker on Mrazek, who was cheating for the pass.
The Canes didn’t quit though as the team’s other Finnish-born player pulled them back within one. Teravainen, in front of the Caps net, picked up a wobbly pass from the blueline, spun around and shot it through Capitals defenseman John Carlson legs and past Holtby to keep Carolina in the game.
The penalty kill has been a key for the Hurricanes success this postseason with their powerplay being unreliable and adding a shorthanded goal alongside it was huge.
Carolina came out flying to start the third. After a near goal in the first minute, the Canes finally tied the game a few minutes later. During a Washington line change, Slavin found Staal up at the blueline and Staal carried the puck in and beat Holtby, who was quite a ways out of the crease, far-side off the post.
The action kept pace with each of the teams swapping chances back and forth, Washington coming within inches of taking the lead until the final horn sounded for overtime.
The first overtime was a hard-fought battle in which the Hurricanes held the obvious edge. With multiple good looks and heavy offensive pressure, including a whiffed two on one, Carolina was the dominant force. But as fate would have it, one extra period was not enough.
In the second overtime period, the Canes found themselves in danger early as Carolina forward Saku Maenalanen was called for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass. However, the Hurricanes held firm and killed the penalty.
The Hurricanes rode the momentum and it paid off. Late in the double overtime, Carolina captain Justin Williams, aka Mr. Game 7, named for his ability to show up in game sevens, got the puck on the forecheck and tossed it to the net where McGinn scored the biggest goal of his career with the tip out in front.
The Hurricanes are moving on to face the New York Islanders, who are coming off a 10-day hiatus after sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. Game one is set for Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. in New York.
