Hurricanes, facing adversity in Game 2, showed they have developed some playoff scar tissue
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes had been living stress-free for so long, this series was always going to be a monumental adjustment.
They’re the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final with fewer than two losses since the NHL went to all best-of-seven series in 1987. Sheesh.
They were never really pushed for three rounds. They got to play their game, their way, on their terms, for six weeks.
It’s unheard of, really.
But, and you knew there was a “but” coming, the downside of being so dominant for so long is that there’s a lack of scar tissue, and it didn’t prepare them for what awaited them in this Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Oh, believe me, coach Rod Brind’Amour told them all the right things before this series — what to be prepared for, that the Golden Knights were a totally different beast. That the days were over of being able to completely dominate the entire stats sheet, that this would be a totally different experience.
“I think we knew that coming in, or knew that it was going to be like this,” Brind’Amour said on Wednesday between Games 1 and 2. “There was no (thought of) we were going to be able to own any of the categories. It’s just not how it’s going to go.”
But saying it and truly believing it are two different things. Through five and a half periods of the Stanley Cup Final, the Hurricanes were still struggling to adjust to their new reality. Which is that they needed to find a way to feel comfortable in a series in which the opposition would finally have its say for important stretches.
“It’s the two best teams left, right?” Hurricanes winger William Carrier said after his team’s 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 on Thursday night. “It’s not going to be easy. That’s why it makes it special to go out there and win it tonight. You need your absolute best game. With Game 1, 90 percent wasn’t good enough.”
Trailing 2-0 midway through the third period, the Hurricanes faced the ultimate test of whether they could adjust to this challenge. The Canes really couldn’t go down 2-0 in the series and head on the road to Las Vegas.
“It was tough, too, because we didn’t give them much, right, to that point?’’ Carrier said of the two-goal deficit. “We hadn’t given up much, but a couple of individual efforts by them. It was tough, but I’m proud of this team. We kept with it. And that building was incredible at 2-1. It might have been different on the road. But once we got to 2-1, the building and the energy, it was huge.’’
Three goals in a span of 5 minutes, 5 seconds. But then the Canes gave up their short-lived 3-2 lead when Mark Stone tied it late for Vegas late in the third period.
More adversity. But the Canes came out flying in overtime, which culminated in Seth Jarvis’ game-winner.
“The two best teams are going at it right now, so obviously it’s not going to be a cakewalk,” said Carolina forward Mark Jankowski, who scored a beauty of a goal in Game 2. “We have all the belief in our group. If things aren’t going our way, just stick with it, stick with the process.”
The scar tissue has arrived. And the Canes are stronger for it. They survived what was nearly a 2-0 series hole and made the adjustments necessary for the way this series needs to be played. Just in time.
“It was great how well we were defending last series and giving up so few shots, but it’s the two best teams in the world now, and each team is going to have their push,’’ said Carolina center Logan Stankoven, whose goal Thursday night ignited his team. “But it’s about not breaking. It’s fine to bend a bit, but you can’t break. We know each team is going to push, but it’s about weathering that storm and putting your game back on track.”
The Golden Knights, meanwhile, feel just fine despite the overtime loss, which snapped their seven-game win streak. Sure, they blew a 2-0 third-period lead, but they go home with the needed road split.
Don’t think for a second this loss will crack their confidence. Zero chance.
The Golden Knights have been dealing with adversity the entire season. They barely made the playoffs, they fired their coach late in the regular season and they were pushed in a six-game series against Utah and Anaheim. And while they swept mighty Colorado, the first two games in that series were steals, to be sure.
All of which is to say, if there’s a team that’s comfortable in the chaos, it’s certainly the Golden Knights, who can genuinely feel at home in any kind of game or series situation.
Been there, done that.
“Yeah, I think we’ve done a good job with that,’’ star center Jack Eichel said. “We’ve continued to get better at it as the playoffs have went on, managing momentum swings. That’s going to happen this time of year. … There are going to be spurts of hockey where things are going really good, and spurts of hockey where you’ve got to manage things. I think our group has done a good job of being able to do that, knowing that we’ll have to continue to do that as we move forward.’’
There’s a core still in place from the 2023 Cup championship team. That’s another layer in being comfortable in the chaos. Things aren’t always going to go your way. But it’s how teams handle those moments when all hell is breaking loose around them that differentiates a champion.
Which is what the Golden Knights showed when they stayed composed after Carolina went up 3-2 late, before they tied it on Stone’s goal with 1:21 left.
“Most of them have gone through it,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “Most of them know what to expect before a series, during a series. I think that the main group that has won before and has gone all the way, people lean on them. So it’s just that. They’ve gone through the experience, so nothing really surprises them.”
So, Carolina knows how hard it will be to win three of the next five games.
What makes Vegas so darn hard to play against?
“I think it’s their poise with the puck, under pressure,” Utah Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny told The Athletic on Thursday. “Also is the fact that they’re even keel no matter what happens. Even when you put them through adversity, even when you push them, they stay even keel. They’re capable of bouncing back, it seems, all the time. And the last point is their physicality. They’re physical, therefore they finish their checks and they wear down your defense.”
Added Anaheim Ducks veteran coach Joel Quenneville via text message on Thursday night when asked about Vegas: “Solid team structure, heavy game, have to earn your space.”
Which the Hurricanes now have seen and felt it, as the series shifts to Vegas for Games 3 and 4.
They know they’re playing a different beast.
“Vegas is a different team and a different style than what we’ve faced,” Stankoven said. “No disrespect to any of the other teams, but it’s big boy hockey out there. … They’re a big team, there’s not a lot of time and space out there to make plays. I think they do a good job of blocking shots and fronting plays, so we have to find ways to get to the net and create a little more zone time.’’
Which is to say, getting comfortable with the chaos that comes with playing a team such as Vegas.
“Oh, for sure,’’ said Jarvis, the overtime hero. “You have to be able to be composed and not kind of shell up when their push is coming. They’re a great team. They’re here for a reason. You know they’re going to have pushes and stuff like that. It’s about being able to handle that and weathering the storm and know our push is going to come.”
The Golden Knights? It’s as if they don’t know any better. Like going down 3-0 to Colorado in Game 3 at home before storming back to win. Just another night at the office. Bring on the chaos. Bring on the adversity. Vegas hasn’t flinched much in these playoffs.
“In the playoffs, you’re not going to be leading all the time. There’s going to be momentum shifts where you’re managing those,” Eichel said. “I think managing those is a big part of it, and knowing that if you manage them well, you know you’re giving yourselves opportunities and chances to get back in the game. We’re a veteran group. Guys that believe in each other. We never feel like we’re out of a game. There’s definitely a confidence that we can come back in situations.”
What a series we’ve got on our hands here. Two incredibly even teams. One with championship experience, and the other feeling much more confident after a thrilling comeback win Thursday night.
This one smells like seven games all the way.
