Canes haven’t been their best in third period, but they’ve been their most productive
It’s been a little lost amid the drama of the Nashville Predators’ two double-overtime goals, but the Carolina Hurricanes have a 3-2 lead in this series heading into Thursday’s Game 6 because of their own late clutch dramatics.
Over the course of a series that’s been almost impossibly close — within a goal or tied for almost the entire duration — the Hurricanes have outscored the Predators 8-2 in third periods, and four of those eight goals were either score-tying goals or go-ahead goals, including Martin Necas’ game-tying shot late in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win.
The Hurricanes had only two official shots in the first 11 minutes of Tuesday’s third period before Rod Brind’Amour delivered an impassioned speech on the bench during a television timeout with 8:37 to go, unleashing a late nine-shot flurry that included Necas’ remarkable goal one shift later.
“There’s a fine line of sticking with the program and not getting too stagnant,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “We had to start pushing for some opportunities.”
It’s all gone a little against the tenor of the series: While the Predators’ game has been predicated on clogging up the ice and retreating to the net — and they’ve attempted to impose a physical edge — it’s the Hurricanes who have worn down the Predators late in games despite a 95-90 Nashville edge in total shots attempted in the third period. The Hurricanes have a 317-236 edge at all other times.
The Hurricanes haven’t necessarily played their best hockey late, but they’ve been their most productive late — at least until it gets very late, with the Hurricanes running on fumes without Jaccob Slavin as the two games in Nashville dragged on and on.
But Slavin is back now ... and was on the ice for Staal’s four-on-four overtime winner 123 seconds into overtime (not 104 as originally and officially recorded, thanks to a timekeeping error).
“Our third period wasn’t great,” Slavin said. “Obviously we got the goal from Necas, which is huge. We knew we had better to give.”
Power back on
After the Hurricanes’ power play went 0 for 4 in Game 4, Brind’Amour made some changes Tuesday, moving Necas and Teuvo Teravainen onto the first unit for Andrei Svechnikov and Staal.
The switch paid immediate dividends: Necas converted on the Hurricanes’ first opportunity for their first man-advantage goal in more than 170 minutes of game time.
Svechnikov was in the penalty box for that goal, but he stayed on the second unit when the Hurricanes went back on the power play in the second period. Svechnikov has only one goal in the series, an empty-netter in Game 1.
Tailwinds
Staal’s overtime goal was his second with the Hurricanes, tying him for second in franchise history with Kevin Dineen and Cory Stillman. Niclas Wallin, the “Secret Weapon,” remains the all-time leader with three. … Time to shorten the bench on the road in Game 6? Carolina’s fourth line has been on the ice for four of Nashville’s past six even-strength goals in regulation. It did score two of its own, both by Brock McGinn, in Game 4. ... The Hurricanes got over the NHL’s 85% vaccination threshold ahead of Game 3 in Nashville, a team spokesperson confirmed Wednesday, and are operating under the league’s less restrictive COVID guidelines.
Watch Carolina Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators
Game 6, Stanley Cup playoff series
▪ Thursday, 9:30 p.m.
▪ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
▪ TV: BSSO (Bally), NBCSN
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 1:38 PM.
