Canes open playoffs Thursday against Capitals
The Carolina Hurricanes have a playoff opponent: the Washington Capitals.
The Canes now have a playoff schedule, beginning the best-of-seven series Thursday against the Caps in Washington.
The Canes closed out the regular season Saturday with a 4-3 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, and with 99 points finished in the first wild-card playoff position in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
The NHL announced the playoff schedule on Sunday. The Canes open with a 7:30 p.m. game Thursday at Capital One Arena in Washington. Game 2 will be Saturday at 3 p.m., with the series shifting to Raleigh and PNC Arena for Game 3 on Monday, April 15 (7 p.m.) and Game 4 on Thursday, April 18 (7 p.m.)
“Now we turn the page,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Saturday.
For the Canes, it will mark the first playoff appearance since 2009 and first playoff games in Raleigh since the Canes lost in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Canes (46-29-7) needed a victory over the Flyers to hold on to the first wild-card playoff spot with the Columbus Blue Jackets (98 points) easily beating the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The Blue Jackets’ road win Friday over the New York Rangers eliminated the Montreal Canadiens.
The Caps (48-26-8) aren’t a team on a mission this season after winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, ending that franchise quest and years of frustration. But they are the Metropolitan Division champions.
“It will be a great challenge,” Brind’Amour said. “We’re playing the Stanley Cup champs. It’s going to be tough. No matter who we play, it’s going to be an uphill battle. I like the way this group has responded all year to challenges. This obviously is a big one coming up.”
The Canes lost all four games (0-3-1) against the Caps this season, playing two games in December and two in March
“It’ll be a fun series to be a part of,” said Canes captain Justin Williams, who played two years for the Caps before coming to the Canes in 2017. “Stanley Cup champs, best team, and someone has to knock them off. So we’re going to try. It’ll be tough and we’ll give them everything we got. “
Scott Darling was the goaltender of record in the first game, a 6-5 shootout loss at PNC Arena. The Canes got power-play goals from Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Williams, and a shorthanded goal from Aho, but lost. The Caps won the second game 3-1 in Washington.
More recently, the Caps won 4-1 on March 26 in Washington, then 3-2 two days later in Raleigh in a game in which the Canes played well, Nino Niederreiter and Warren Foegele scoring for Carolina.
The Canes, who set a franchise record with 22 road wins, could have finished third in the Metro had the Penguins lost in regulation Saturday to the Rangers. The Pens, who lost 4-3 in overtime, finished with 100 points and will open the playoffs against the New York Islanders.
As the second wild card, the Blue Jackets must open against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Consider that the Lightning, after beating the Boston Bruins 6-2 on Saturday, finished with 128 points and a 103-goal differential for the season. Tampa Bay was 32-7-2 at home and 30-9-2 on the road in easily claiming the Presidents’ Trophy for most points in the season.
The playoff schedule
Game 1, Thursday, April 11, at Washington, 7:30 pm, Capital One Arena
Game 2, Saturday, April 13, at Washington, 3 pm, Capital One Arena
Game 3, Monday, April 15, Washington, 7 pm, PNC Arena
Game 4, Thursday, April 18, Washington, 7 pm, PNC Arena
(if necessary)
Game 5, Saturday, April 20, at Washington, TBD, Capital One Arena
Game 6, Monday, April 22, Washington, TBD, PNC Arena
Game 7, Wednesday, April 24, at Washington, TBD, Capital One Arena
This story was originally published April 6, 2019 at 9:51 PM.
