If the Canes beat the Predators, Round 2 against the Lightning could be coming in hot
With the Tampa Bay Lightning closing out the Florida Panthers in six games Wednesday, the defending Stanley Cup champions now await the winner of this series. If the Carolina Hurricanes win Game 6 on Thursday at the Nashville Predators, Game 1 against the Lightning could be as early as Saturday or Sunday at PNC Arena.
With the Boston Celtics at home Sunday and Tuesday, the Bruins’ series against the New York Islanders is set to begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, which could push a potential Carolina-Tampa series to start Sunday-Tuesday.
There’s also a potential Toronto-Winnipeg series hanging out there as well that would start on the East Coast as well, which could lead to the NHL stacking multiple games on the same day. That’s easier on the weekends but not on the weekdays, which is how the Hurricanes ended up playing Thursday’s Game 6 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern.
If it takes seven games, Game 1 could be as early as Monday or Tuesday. Either way, the Carolina-Nashville winner will have a quick turnaround and the Lightning will have at least an extra day of rest.
That’s reminiscent of the very small gap between the first and second rounds in 2019, when the Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals in double overtime and then had to go straight to New York to play the Islanders 43 hours later. The Hurricanes knew that was coming; they had to pack for six days on the road when they went to Washington for one winner-take-all game.
What’s different: the Islanders had been off for 10 days after sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hurricanes won that game … and the next three, sweeping the Islanders (and then were swept by the Boston Bruins in return).
“There’s pros and cons to both,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We had a series that went seven games a couple years ago and we played a day and half later and we ended up sweeping that series. The other team was sitting there. So they said they were rusty. I think it just depends who wins. I don’t think there’s a lot of carry-over unless there’s injuries. That’s the different equation. That, to me, is the big thing about playing extra games and whatnot, you run the risk of losing guys.”
Either way, if the Hurricanes are hosting the Lightning on Saturday, they’ll have more than 15,000 fans in the building. The possibility of playing at home Saturday -- whether in a Game 7 against Nashville or a Game 1 against Tampa Bay -- was a big part of why the Hurricanes pushed to quickly install a new 500-ton chiller unit outside PNC Arena.
Brind’Amour expects same lineup
Brind’Amour said Thursday he hoped to have the same lineup for Game 6 that he had for Game 5, meaning defenseman Jaccob Slavin would play for a second straight game and Alex Nedeljkovic again would be the starting goalie.
After the Canes went through the morning skate at Bridgestone Arena, Brind’Amour said “everything seemed fine.”
The Canes’ only player on their injured list is Cedric Paquette, who has yet to appear in the postseason.
As for Slavin, who was finally back on the ice for Game 5, playing 26:08 after missing three games — and was on the ice for Jordan Staal’s overtime winner — Brind’Amour said he was “avoiding” the defenseman, who was a game-time decision again Tuesday night. “I don’t want to ask, to be honest with you,” Brind’Amour said.
Brind’Amour said the Preds’ desperation level would be at its highest in an elimination game. As for the Canes’ spproach, he said, “You don’t have to do anything special. You have to do your job.”
Perfect on the penalty-kill in wins over Nashville
The Hurricanes were perfect on the penalty-kill for the third time this series in Game 5, going 3-for-3 while down a man — and also getting a huge break in overtime when a Nashville power play was wiped out by an interference penalty on William Carrier after a neutral-zone collision with Sebastian Aho.
Not coincidentally, the games the Hurricanes have been unblemished while down a man are the three they have won in the series. But they also only allowed one power-play goal in each of their two losses, going 20-for-22 (90.9 percent) in the series.
“We haven’t really changed much all year,” Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce said. “We just kind of stick with that aggressive theme. When we’re all kind of working in tandem together it’s hard to make plays around us.”
Tailwinds: news and notes
If Nashville wins Thursday night, it will only be the fifth time in the last 10 seasons that the home team has won the first six games of a series. The last time: the Hurricanes and Capitals in 2019. The Hurricanes, obviously, won Game 7 on the road. … One more win will tie Brind’Amour with mentor Peter Laviolette for second-most playoff wins by a Hurricanes coach. Paul Maurice tops the list. … Slavin picked up an assist on Staal’s winner in Game 5 to move into a tie with Dave Babych and Bret Hedican for most postseason assists by a defenseman (13) in franchise history.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 11:44 AM.
