Rachel Barkley
Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes play their first road game of the Stanley Cup Final as they visit T-Mobile Arena to take on the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 3.
The game is scheduled for 8:00 PM EDT.
The Crazy Caniacs Go ‘Tarps Off’, and Momentum Shifts in Hurricanes Favor
In classic ‘Cardiac Canes’ fashion, the Hurricanes saved the best for last.
Going scoreless through two periods, time was running out for the Hurricanes to send an even series to Nevada. Then the video board asked fans to go ‘tarps off for the boys’, and the Caniacs did just that to rally for them.
With less than 10 minutes left and a half-naked crowd, the Hurricanes scored twice to tie the game.
“That’s the best thing about them: they’re crazy,” Seth Jarvis said of the fans going shirtless in the third frame. “It’s an amazing atmosphere to play in, and to have people like that – it’s not warm in there. So, to take your tarps off and kind of get the crowd going and get the energy going, that’s kind of what kick-started our whole little press there in the third.”
It Ain’t the Stanley Cup Final Without Controversy
However, as you would probably expect for a Stanley Cup Final, controversy quickly struck the game. A play was whistled dead just as the puck crossed the Hurricanes’ goal line.
A pile-up over Frederik Andersen, Ivan Barbashev poked at the goalie’s glove, which prevented him from playing his position and was immediately called as goaltender interference – referee Jean Hebert signaling ‘no goal’ from his spot behind the net.
Interestingly, Vegas head coach John Tortorella challenged the goalie interference call, but it was not overturned and led to a massive turning point in the game, as the Hurricanes scored on the power play given for delay of game over the failed challenge.
As with most goaltender interference challenges – especially in the playoffs – it leads to widespread controversy and debate. A still image showing the puck uncovered by Andersen has since gone viral across social media, causing an uproar. However, another still image disputes it, showing a clear view of Barbashev’s stick flexed at Andersen’s glove amidst the chaos.
After the Hurricanes took the go-ahead goal, the Golden Knights tied the game and forced overtime, but Jarvis played the hero of the night and tied the series with an overtime power play goal.
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final proved to be perhaps the craziest game of the playoffs, and you can read all about it here!
Brayden McNabb’s Status Remains Unclear
In Game 2, Brayden McNabb took an 87.3 MPH slapshot from Nikolaj Ehlers to the face. He immediately dropped to the ice, grabbing his face, and then sprung up on his skates, dashing down the tunnel. Later in the game, it was reported that he had left the building and had gone to the hospital for the injury.
It’s a tough blow for Vegas, losing a top-pairing defenseman and an important second-unit penalty killer in McNabb. Tortorella confirmed that he would travel with the team back to Vegas, but could not provide an update. How the Golden Knights’ defensive lines will look for Game 3 remains a toss up.
In the Crease
Both Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart have continued to play well for their teams, and as such, no changes in net are expected.
Projected Carolina Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen / Brandon Bussi
Projected Vegas Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Tomas Hertl – Colton Sissons – Mark Stone
Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
Defense
Noah Hanifin – Shea Theodore
Ben Hutton – Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon – Dylan Coghlan
Goaltenders
Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Special Teams
Carolina Hurricanes power play: 14.5% (12th, up one spot from previous game)
Carolina Hurricanes penalty kill: 93.3% (2nd)
Vegas Golden Knights power play: 20.8% (5th)
Vegas Golden Knights penalty kill: 85.2% (7th, down two spots from previous game)
Hurricanes Game Notes
Jarvis became the youngest player (24 years, 123 days old) to score an overtime game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final since former San Jose Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi in 2016.
All of the Hurricanes’ Game 2s in this postseason campaign have ended with wins in overtime.
The Hurricanes are the first team to overcome a multi-goal deficit in the last 10 minutes of a third period in the Stanley Cup Final since the 1944 Montreal Canadiens.
Despite scrutiny from lack of production and a third period shakeup of the top-line, Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, and Sebastian Aho all found themselves on the scoresheet in Thursday’s game.
Though the Stanley Cup Final will only be available via national broadcasts, local play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco and analyst Tripp Tracy will continue to call games on the Hurricanes’ radio partner. 99.9 The Fan.
How To Watch
TV: ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
