Hurricanes vs. Capitals – The Recap

The Carolina Hurricanes came into the night riding the high of a two-game win streak – beating the Islanders and Canadians in recent outings.  This evening will be a great litmus test game, playing the Capitals, who have looked good all season.  The reality is this game tonight puts us one step closer to the playoffs.  It reminds me of when my son would play Little League baseball – the regular season was fine, but I was so much more excited to get to All-Stars – the NHL Playoffs is like Little League All-Stars in terms of my excitement level.  You play all season so you can compete for the Cup.  Assuming we can come out of this game with one point, we would clinch our spot.

Tonight, the goal is in front of us – let’s clinch against another playoff contender and impose our will on them doing it.  Ideally, I would like to see the boys dominate in similar fashion to what we did in Game 3 of the 2019 playoffs – the first year of our run – where we dominated in shots, possession, and the scoreboard.  Let’s dominate.

Below are my thoughts on the game:

• Freddie Andersen got the draw in net, as is the norm with the two netminders.  Over the last several games, Freddie has distanced himself as the clear “better goalie”, for better or worse.  While I would like to see Kochetkov get his time in net, it may very well be another Andersen net come playoffs.  No Jordan Staal again tonight – Kotkaniemi centers Staal’s normal line.  Rod says it is precautionary – I hope he can get a few games in prior to the playoffs. 
• We started with a couple good chances for the 4^th line – Robinson-Jankowski-Jost have some jump.  Overall, the boys have generated good traffic in the zone and have really done a good job holding onto the puck in the zone.  I liked what I saw early in this one. 
• Jaccob Slavin – he’s ready for playoff hockey.  He was a big frame down low, standing up a Capital in his own end to thwart a chance.  He was great throughout this game, but particularly good early on.
• Sean Walker buried one and we are off and running.  It started with us getting to the forecheck – Ghost pinches to keep the puck in the zone, he passed over to Sean Walker who waits for the traffic in front – Jankowski, Jost and Robinson all skating past Logan Thompson and Walker buried it.   No surprise that the 4^th line was out doing the stuff you won’t see in the box score but is vital to what is needed.  We’ve looked great early.  1-0 good guys.
• There was no quit in this 4^th line – they drew a penalty at the halfway point of the 1^st for interference.  This line looked great.  Walker and Ghost did too.  
• We started the power play with some solid net-front from the boys, good entry and clean faceoff wins.  Eventually, Aho feeds Gostisbehere, who waits with a delayed shot, Blake gets the rebound (Taylor Hall was in front of the net to create some chaos) and he beat Thompson low – Good entry for the Canes, great faceoff win by Hall in the neutral zone (Aho got booted), Jarvis with a good entry.  Everyone played their part.  2-0 good guys.    
• We drew another penalty for delay of game a few minutes later in the 1^st.  We had gotten the puck deep and Jesperi Kotkaniemi forced the issue – on to the power play again.  We get a clean draw win – Jarvis absolutely crushes a shot through Logan Thompson top shelf, blocker side - fifteen seconds into the power play.  Good puck movement, great location.  Ghost and Aho get the assists, but this is a true five-man unit.  3-0 good guys.
• We had to kill a couple penalties in the 1^st as well – both instances, we looked like the better team and had the better looks – once by Jarvis, another by Jankowski.  Logan Thompson had a great save after getting undressed by Jank.  Both kills were successful.
• To date, this has been as good of a period I have seen from the Canes – just absolutely dominant in every phase.  The Caps may have had maybe one high danger chance.   The Aho line has been buzzing – a couple great shifts in this first period.  Steady in the defensive zone as well.  All units were flying. 
• The Caps put Charlie Lindgren in net to start the 2^nd period.  Apparently, Logan Thompson left with an upper body injury.
• Freddie Andersen, when he’s been called upon, he’s been excellent.  He’s stayed calm and collected in net.  Good time of year to be that way – and I think he is firmly being looked at as 1A in net come mid-April.
• Stankoven with a great goal on the bump up shift from the power play – so awesome – excellent pass from Roslovic, Stankoven wins a race to the front of the net, beating Ovechkin.  Stankoven has been all over it tonight with multiple chances and this one ends up true; it is 4-0 good guys. 
• We have to go to the kill again.  Taylor Hall with another penalty – this one is a penalty.   And then we have to go onto a 5-on-3 – Burns called with a hold.  Yikes – that didn’t appear to be a penalty, but here we go.  Ovechkin scores pretty quickly to make it 4-1.  Just a lethal shot.  I don’t know what Freddie can do there – he is trying to do work to across the crease and Ovi sent it against the grain - what a goal.
• The second period was not nearly as dominant as the first period – Freddie Andersen made his presence known, having some key saves.  We did score a goal – Logan Stankoven notching a tally.  The Caps have had a push, but Andersen has been up to the task aside from the 5-on-3 marker that they scored.  Tough break there at the end of the period – still in full control, though.  We had our chances with a couple of additional power plays, but nothing noteworthy except it kind of looked like we reverted back to our old ways.  The second period was a bit sloppy in most aspects – the power play was no exception.  It was just sloppy in the 2^nd. 
• Jarvis drew another penalty – onto another power play.  It was a weak start – we lost a draw and had some trouble entering the zone.  Eventually, Jarvis won a draw, and Jackson Blake retrieved the puck – from there, he made a sick forehand/backhand move and then buried it top shelf.  What.  A.  Move.  5-1 Hurricanes.
• The faceoff circle was a pleasant surprise – all of the centermen have done a good job at the dot.  To gain possession, you must win draws – we did that.
• With a little under ten minutes to go, I had started to get the finishing touches done on this blog, when some chaos ensued.  The Blake-Aho-Jarvis combination had really gotten under the skin of the top line of the Capitals.  Tom Wilson, in particular, was actively challenging Aho because Aho was able to avoid a hit and Wilson took the wrong end of it.  Tom Wilson has had a great year – but to challenge a dude because he was able to sidestep your weak attempt - just comical.  We eventually go to another power play. 
• Stankoven has been so steady for us – good backchecking, pick pocketing in the neutral zone, being an absolute menace in the attacking end.  Great work by Stank tonight (and the rest of that line this evening).  Martinook has done well setting up chances and Kotkaniemi has done a great job in the faceoff circle.  One final note on Logan Stankoven – he jumped in to shove Tom Wilson, who was trying to mix it up in the middle of a scrum around the net. Stank got a few shots in on Wilson during that late power play after Wilson had words for Aho.  Stank ended up with a two-minute roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.  I love Logan Stankoven. 
• Mark Jankowski and Tyson Jost also saw the showers early for misconduct penalties too.  Washington, as you would expect, were starting to get overly physical and Jank and Jost weren’t having it.  That makes a full forward line from each team to the dressing room early.  Not fifteen seconds later, Jalen Chatfield gets mixed up with Connor McMichael and they both get sent to the dressing room as well after Chatty ragdolls McMichael.  Some speculate Chatfield (known NHL agitator – sarcasm intended) might get a suspension for that take down.  I think it is awesome we stood up to the ridiculousness of the Capitals.  You love to see it!   If Chatty does get suspended, play Morrow. 

After that final goal, it kind of felt like the Capitals were kind of playing this one out – they were out played for stretches of this game – particularly in the dominant 1^st.  We just kept playing and peppering shots.  Frustration boiled and tempers flared up for them. 

At the end of the 2^nd, it was shared that Andrii Svechnikov wasn’t on the bench – clearly dealing with something – my hope is that he can be OK as we head into the playoffs.  That said, his absence could solve a problem about who we should play when Carrier comes back. 

If I had to give three stars this game, it would be 1^st – Jackson Blake – two goals, they were important.  2^nd – Logan Stankoven – a goal and a fight with Tom Wilson will get you the 2^nd star minimum in my book.  3^rd – Freddie Andersen – he was awesome between the pipes.  We clinch our 7^th consecutive playoff spot.

Next up:   We head to Detroit on Friday to take on the Red Wings.