The Carolina Hurricanes now hold a commanding 3-0 series lead over the New York Islanders, following their 3-2 win in Game 3 win last night.
The Hurricanes only managed 22 shots in the win, but were able to pull ahead early and hold on for a road win. For a full game recap, an article can be viewed here:
- ARTICLE: Hurricanes hold all momentum after huge Game 2 comeback vs. Islanders
However, below we take a look at some of the key notes and stories from Game 3, as the Hurricanes inch towards a second round berth.
Early lead, Hurricanes hang on
This time, Carolina was able to pull ahead early and didn’t have to try to chase the game. While the Game 2 comeback may have been a wild feat, it’s also not a sustainable way to win games.
The first period was still fairly even overall, but the Hurricanes were able to capitalize on their chances. Pulling ahead early allowed Carolina to shut things down a little later on, so while they may have given up 11 shots in the third period, they still reduced the number of quality chances.
Blue line remains solid
A big shift within the defense group was Tony DeAngelo drawing into action alongside Brady Skjei, in place of Brett Pesce. With Pesce out for the series, there was a bit of concern in regards to what it would mean for the team’s defense group.
However, Carolina’s defense really didn’t miss a beat, and also chipped in for two of the three Hurricanes goals. For a team who does count on their blue line for a lot of offense, it was a bonus to see them contribute, while not necessarily feeling Pesce’s absence in a significant way defensively.
Dmitry Orlov continues to really come into form as well. He’s continued to take on a larger role as the year has gone on, but he looks like a different player than he did when he first suited up for Carolina in October. He’s carrying the puck and looks a lot more confident, and the Orlov-Chatfield pairing has shown they’re capable of taking on a larger role.
Another big game from Frederik Andersen
Andersen may have been shaky in Game 2, but the Hurricanes still opted to go back to him last night. It proved to be the right decision, as he ended up being counted on for 29 saves in the win. Again, the Hurricanes did a good job making sure a lot of those chances were of a fairly low quality, but if Andersen doesn’t outright win the goaltending battle there against Ilya Sorokin, it’s a different game.
I think it was somewhat expected that Pyotr Kochetkov would enter the series at some point, but now it’ll be interesting to see what they do now. It’s tough to get Kochetkov in for a series-clinching opportunity, but it’s also at the point now where they may just run with Andersen.
Other Notes
- Tony DeAngelo played nearly 16 minutes last night, but wasn’t overly impactful. He was on for the Pierre Engvall goal and left him open in front for the goal, but it’s still the kind of situation where he wasn’t a huge detriment.
- While Brett Pesce’s injury may not be as severe as initially expected, Rod Brind’Amour’s comments point to the fact that Jesper Fast may not return for the playoffs at all.
The Hurricanes have an opportunity to close out the series tomorrow afternoon in Game 4.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM THE PLAYOFFS
- Hurricanes enter playoffs as a force in the East
- Takeaways from Hurricanes’ Game 1 win over Islanders
- Hurricanes hold all momentum after huge Game 2 comeback vs. Islanders
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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