In a ‘stressful’ Stanley Cup Final, no one knows what’s coming next — including the players
LAS VEGAS – Don’t you dare look away from this Stanley Cup Final.
The way the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights have exchanged knockout blows over the last week, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this high-octane NHL championship series will hang in the balance right until the last period of the last game.
Last shot wins.
For the participants, it’s been an incredibly taxing four games.
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour even admitted he hasn’t been able to savor the experience. This, after his team beat Vegas 5-3 on Tuesday to make it a best-of-three for Lord Stanley’s Cup — a win that included a pair of blown two-goal leads by Carolina.
“I know I need to (enjoy it) because this doesn’t come around too often,” said Brind’Amour. “It’s stressful.”
For those of us with no skin tied up in the result, it has been nothing short of breathtaking. We’ve watched wild swings of momentum and seen a staggering 33 goals scored, tied for the third-most in league history.
Quite frankly, it’s included a level of drama and unpredictability the Stanley Cup Final rarely reaches.
Each of the four games has been tied at some point in the third period. Two of the games have gone beyond regulation. And there’s been a blown multi-goal lead in each one.
“Watching hockey as a fan has become problematic for my emotions but this series especially has taken a toll on my mental stability,” Justin Williams, a three-time Cup champion who is now special adviser to Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky, told The Athletic. “One of the reasons we love sports is because of the unpredictability, and I don’t know what to expect next.”
Tuesday’s game saw Carolina take a 2-0 lead before the four-minute mark before Golden Knights captain Mark Stone quickly got one back with a nice solo finish on a breakaway. The Hurricanes then pushed it to 3-1, only to see a Brayden McNabb shot enter the net as time expired in the first period.
That one didn’t count — video review showed that it crossed the goal line a fraction of a second late — but the Golden Knights kept pushing and made it 3-3 before the second intermission.
Back and forth it went.
Even after Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal put Carolina ahead, 4-3, with 13:28 left in regulation, it was a white-knuckle finish. Carolina wasn’t exiting its own zone as cleanly as we’ve come to expect and Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel struck iron on a Grade-A look with less than two minutes to play that could have tied it.
“I’ve been surprised by the amount of offense, given the fact that these teams defended as well as they had for most of the playoffs,” said former NHLer Ray Ferraro, an analyst on ESPN’s broadcast. “The unpredictability, drama and lead changes have made this a fantastic series, and it feels almost impossible to predict any outcome.”
As Ferraro noted, there was no hint we’d be treated to this amount of offense while watching the Hurricanes and Golden Knights each march their way to the final this spring.
While some of it can be attributed to shaky goaltending — Carolina turned to 27-year-old journeyman Brandon Bussi for this one after Frederik Andersen was pulled in Game 3 — that only tells part of the story. Both teams play with a ton of speed and have been looking for opportunities to blow the defensive zone in transition, creating an unusually high number of breakaways throughout the series.
“It’s been kind of crazy with the goals,” said Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake. “I talked to (teammate Logan Stankoven) actually and when he was in Dallas, they played Vegas and it went to (Game 7), he said the games were like 1-0 and 2-1 and stuff. So we were kind of expecting something a little like that, but as long as we’re winning I don’t care what the score is.”
There won’t be much time for anyone to catch their breath, either, with a cross-country flight on Wednesday before they jump directly into Game 5 on Thursday night back in Raleigh.
“The game’s happening quick this time of year,” said Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson. “I feel like the whole series has been a momentum series where if you get one, you get two or if you’re down two, you come back and all of a sudden you get three.
“It’s been kind of the same all series, so when they get one, we have to find a way to stop the bleeding.”
For Staal, a 37-year-old who prides himself on playing a reliable 200-foot game, the goals just keep coming. He’s scored five in the Cup Final alone and is starting to earn some well-deserved Conn Smythe Trophy hype.
You can add him to the list of players in this series struggling to explain what exactly is going on in each of these games.
“It’s a wild ride, isn’t it?” he said. “There’s a lot of emotion. Lots of ups and downs.”
Carolina forward Nikolaj Ehlers found himself lying in bed Monday night and had to remind himself he’s playing for the Stanley Cup right now.
It’s his first crack at the big trophy in his 11th season and he’s intent on not missing the moment, especially after Carolina erased a four-goal lead in the third period of Game 3 only to lose in double overtime.
They absolutely had to win Game 4.
“The lead changes and everything has been stressful — to say the least,” said Ehlers. “It shows how good both teams are and when you let up just a little bit teams are going to take advantage. So it’s stressful, but a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Look away at your own peril.
We could be in for an unforgettable end to this NHL season.
