Storm rages on
Low-seeded Hurricanes are proof that once you make playoffs anything can happen
So the Hurricanes’ surge is unabated, gale winds at their back.
After Carolina got into the Stanley Cup tournament on the second to last day of regular-season, they swept a New York Islanders team that was coming off their own sweep of Sid and the Penguins.
Here are 10 observations from a series that was over almost before it started, with the lowest payroll in the league ‘Canes now in the Final Four and totally relevant once again:
While Justin Williams and Jordan Staal are the soul of the Canes, the heart of their lineup is their kids. In the last two games, they dressed half a roster 25 and under with Sebastian Aho (21) leading the charge. They’ve drafted exceedingly well (Jaccob Slavin, fourth round, Brett Pesce, third) and stole two guys in trades Teuvo Teravainen (to take Bryan Bickell’s money) and Nino Niedereitter (for Victor Rask). No McDavids or MacKinnons but a very solid, young core.
The Canes players think of Rod Brind’Amour as a father as much as a coach and don’t want to disappoint him. They don’t want to make Dad mad. There’s more unabashed love for Roddy than most player-coach relationships. He was pretty tightly wound as a player, close to being a Hall of Fame centre/ captain, but as a rookie head coach he’s a great motivator and more than matched in-game wits with Barry Trotz, who did a helluva job to get the Isles to 103 points.
The Islanders, who led for a shade more than two minutes from Game 2 to Game 4, got to the playoffs because they defended better than anybody but outside of Mat Barzal’s flair and drive, they don’t have nearly enough offensive juice. They had five goals against Carolina, only two even-strength (Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson in garbage time in game 4). Only three F’s (Bailey, Barzal and Nelson) scored. They also had nobody to get the puck up ice other than Nick Leddy; Carolina’s D, top 5 in the league, was decisively better.
Aho’s hiding an injury. He took only 15 faceoffs in the four games, going 5-10. The big tell was in the first period, left faceoff circle and Aho, a lefty, didn’t take it even when Williams, a righty, took over when Foegele (a lefty) was waved out. “We have better centres,” said Aho when asked why he took so few draws, going 0-4 in game 4.
Who knew that Curtis McElhinney would outplay Robin Lehner the last 2 1/2 games? Lehner wasn’t the reason the Isles lost (he only gave up nine goals in 4 games) but if anybody thought Petr Mrazek going down in Game 2 was an “uh, oh” moment for Carolina, they were wrong. One suspect goal (Bailey, 40-footer) in Game 3. Now, do they go back to Mrazek (groin) after their layoff before the Eastern final, or stick with the career backup in net?
Islanders’ winger Leo Komarov makes everybody’s top five annoying players to go against but he does some head-scratching stuff. His senseless stick to the unsuspecting Williams’ chest shortly after Barzal’s PP goal in Game 4 was quickly turned into a tying PP snipe given to Aho after Adam Pelech accidentally shot it past Lehner. Casey Cizikas, their best penalty-killer and coming off a career scoring year, also spent more time in the box than he should have. Truth is, the Isles’ hugely effective fourth line of Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck was a non-factor, in part because Clutterbuck had a bad back but guys like Jordan Martinook and Greg McKegg matched them.
Slavin has been in the witness protection program in Carolina, hiding out with few people knowing how good he is. But, we know now. He has the ability to play big minutes, against big people, and he makes it look easy. There might be 15 true No. 1 defencemen in the NHL. Slavin’s one of them. Absolutely cool under fire and his offence is coming on (11 assists in 11 Carolina games).
Williams, 38 in October, has played 100 post-season games after turning 30 and has 71 points. When coaches say “this guy’s a player” Williams is the epitome of that. As Isles coach Barry Trotz, who had Williams in Washington, says “he loves the big moment, he doesn’t fear it.” Not the fastest, not the biggest, not the toughest, but all he does is win and score. He’s also the unofficial assistant coach on Brind’Amour’s staff.
Jordan Eberle led the Isles with nine post-season points, far better than his first go at it with the Oilers in 2017 but after four goals in the first-round, he couldn’t get anything going in round 2 with 10 shots, five in game 4. He’s made $6 million for the last six years but as an unrestricted free-agent, will the Isles give him that, coming off a 19-goal regular-season? They’ll be in the hunt for Artemi Panarin, for sure, and they have to also sign Nelson.
The Canes have made the playoffs four times since 2002 and they’ve made the final four every time. They don’t just come to the dance, they stay until closing time. “Well-rested,” laughed Brind’Amour, when asked how the Canes do so well every time they hit post-season. They always toss out the platitude that if you can make the playoffs, anything can happen. The seventh-seeded Canes are proof positive. This spring the 7-8 seeds in each conference might make the final four.