After a tough 4-3 loss in Game 2 to the Washington Capitals in which the Carolina Hurricanes tied it up twice, and in a game which the Carolina Hurricanes arguably were the better team, considering they came back from down 2-0 and 3-2, sending the game into overtime, the Canes knew something had to change.
And home ice proved to be that change they needed. After coming up short in the nation’s capital in Games 1 and 2, the Canes absolutely dominated the Caps in Game 3 en route a a 5-0 win. Rookie Warren Foegele and defenseman Dougie Hamilton each had two goals, while Brock McGinn added one of his own, rocking the PNC Arena in what has to have been the loudest game at the arena in 10 years.
The first period was fairly even, and to some extent, I thought the Caps were the better team. They were doing what they did so well in games 1 and 2: skate into the zone, force the Canes’ defensemen to overskate, and pass with speed, setting up easy, point-blank shots.
But after a couple highlight-reel saves by Mrazek, and the Canes holding the Caps’ offense in check, the Canes broke through. At the 10:17 mark of the first period, Foegele redirected a shot from the point by assistant captain Justin Faulk that slowly bounced over Caps goalie Braden Holtby into the goal for a 1-0 lead, the first of many that would make the fans in PNC Arena feel like there was an earthquake.
After taking a 1-0 lead into the second period, the Canes were looking for some insurance goals. They did not wait long, as after multiple chances in the first six minutes of the second period, the Canes extended their lead to 2-0 on a two-on-one goal from Warren Foegele. Less than seven minutes later, Dougie Hamilton extended the lead to 3-0 on a power play, sending the crowd into one of the loudest playoff frenzies of the evening.
The defense was outstanding in the second period, too, as the Canes only allowed the Caps to get two shots off on goal in the second period alone.
Going into the third period, the Canes fans at PNC Arena knew what was at stake. They were twenty more minutes away from their first playoff win since May 14, 2009, when Scott Walker scored a Game 7 overtime goal against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. All the Canes had to do was keep playing smart, Carolina-style hockey.
And that is exactly what they did. Carolina’s defense would only allow the Caps to get seven shots off on goal in the third period, while scoring two more of their own on a power play, slap shot goal from Dougie Hamilton at the point and a wrist shot from Brock McGinn that went through Holtby’s five-hole, extending the lead to 5-0.
Wow. Talk about a crowd.
One thing that I really liked from this game, too, was the outstanding defense. One play of note that I watched was in the second period, when the Canes had a 1-0 lead, and Dougie Hamilton skated over towards the net between a Capital and Canes goalie Petr Mrazek. Here, Hamilton prevents Mrazek from getting a clear shot off on goal, and that proved to be the story for the rest of the night.
The Canes have to love how they played in this game. It was exactly what they needed after a tough first two games of the series in Washington.
As they go into Game 4 on Thursday night, the Canes need to continue to execute and push the pace. If they do this, they should not only win on Thursday night, but feel confident about themselves the rest of the series. And we are hoping to get Andrei Svechnikov back, who fought with Ovechkin during a very physical game, after he left the ice with an upper-body injury.
Continue to Take Warning. We are just getting started down here in Caniac Country.
