INJURIES CAN’T DERAIL CAROLINA PLAYOFF EXPRESS
Hobbled Hurricanes lose three more bodies but still manage to upend favoured Isles
In the Stanley Cup war of attrition, the Carolina Hurricanes keep winning games but losing bodies.
The injury-ravaged ’Canes lost starting goalie Petr Mrazek to a left leg issue 61/2 minutes into the second period, defenceman Trevor van Riemsdyk on the game’s first shift to a possible left shoulder separation, and winger Saku Maenalanen to an upperbody injury after he blocked a shot three minutes into the third frame.
Jordan Martinook, Andrei Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland were hobbled already.
But, somehow, the Hurricanes keep finding ways to win (6-3 in the post-season), and Sunday, they scored twice in the first 65 seconds of the third period to knock off the New York Islanders 2-1 to sweep the first two games of the second-round series at Barclays Center.
They did it with their backup goalie Curtis McElhinney holding down the fort, with another goal from rookie Warren Foegele, and Nino Niederreiter’s first marker in nine post-season games.
“We were dropping like flies out there,” said ’Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, who joked a few days ago that he couldn’t run a practice because everybody was hurt. “The only way I can describe this win is to say it was hard work … we just gutted it out, throwing people out there on different lines.”
Foegele, who had 10 goals all season, notched his fifth in nine playoff games with a perfectly placed shot on Isles goalie Robin Lehner just 13 seconds into the third period.
Niederreiter followed that up by tipping Teuvo Teravainen’s shot past the Islanders goalie at the 65-second mark.
Then the ’Canes hung on, with Ryan Pulock, Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey all clanking pucks off the iron behind McElhinney.
Eberle’s shot went to video review to see if the 15-footer went off the crossbar and out or inside the back of the net as he forced his way into the open with 71/2 minutes left.
“Those posts … yeah, they were loud,” said Foegele.
“Sometimes the unseen hand emerges out there,” said Islanders coach Barry Trotz, wondering how a 1-0 lead that seemed very comfortable through 40 minutes turned so quickly.
“I, uh, wouldn’t exactly say that’s how we drew it up,” Foegele said with a laugh.
“Maybe there’s a shot of magic in this room. Let’s hope so,” said Jaccob Slavin, one of the NHL’s most underrated defencemen, who played 271/2 minutes with the Hurricanes down to five blueliners.
The line between winning and losing in the playoffs is often crooked.
“We came desperate, played hard but didn’t get the result,” said Trotz.
True enough, but his team has scored just one goal in two games now. The Islanders 12 forwards had only 16 shots in this loss.
Mrazek gave up goal to Mathew Barzal 13 minutes into the game, but Barzal needed help. His cross-ice pass to Bailey was redirected past Mrazek by Slavin’s stick as he tried to block it.
It was the first goal he’d given up since Evgeny Kuznetsov beat him 13 minutes into the second period of Game 7’s double OT victory against the Capitals.
He went 135:04, the second longest run in franchise history. Kevin Weekes had a shutout streak of 145:55 in 2002.
Mrazek, who had played every single playoff minute, looked just fine until the second period. He left shortly after sliding across the crease on a 2-on-1 rush with Eberle sending a pass to Casey Cizikas that backfired.
He had appeared to tweak it earlier playing an earlier shot by Leo Komarov.
McElhinney, who has played for seven NHL teams, was caught swimming in the crease a few times as shots rang off the pipes behind him, but he stopped all 17 shots that hit him through 33 minutes.
McElhinney played 33 games this season.
“Right to the end of the season I was quite happy to be going back and forth between Petr and Curtis. There was no way I could say ‘Ah, that guy’s not playing well.’ What happened was Petr just elevated his game,” said Brind’Amour, who has plenty of confidence in McElhinney.