TC Martin

Canes Storm Back, Win in Overtime   

​​​

What was expected to be a Stanely Cup Finals featuring few goals and a defensive battle turned out to be anything but that in the first two games.  In front of another raucous red clad crowd in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes did exactly what the Vegas Golden Knights did in Game 1.  

 

Carolina erased a two-goal deficit by scoring three unanswered goals to come from behind to defeat the Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime and even the best of seven series at one game apiece. 

​​

Facing a 2-0 deficit with 10:00 to go in the game, the Hurricanes came storming back pummeling shots at Vegas goaltender Carter Hart until they finally cracked the back of the net.  

​

After Logan Stankoven finally got the Canes on the board to cut the deficit to 2-1, Mark Jankowski tied the game 2:26 later to bring the crowd into a frenzy.  Another two and half minutes later Carolina took the lead with Jordan Staal firing one in to give the home team their first lead of the game. 

​

The Hurricanes had nothing going for the first 45 minutes of play until a couple of extended shifts late in the game turned things around.  It was like the Hurricanes were lurking and then the thunder came pouring down.  

​

It was very reminiscent of what the Golden Knights did two nights earlier when they trailed 2-0 and fired back with three unanswered goals.  Carolina did the same thing on Thursday evening.  This is first time each of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final featured a team falling behind by two goals and then coming back to win. 

​

One of the first key moments in the game came when an apparent Vegas goal was disallowed for goaltender interference.  The goal would have tied put the Knights back in front 3-2 with 5:00 minutes remaining.  John Tortorella challenged but the original call was upheld keeping the game tied.  Because the challenge was unsuccessful, Vegas was assessed a delay of game penalty meaning a power play for Carolina.  Stall scored and now the Knights were playing from behind. 

​

“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie, Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him to the other side said an upset Tortorella.  “I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.” 

​

Mark Stone gave the Knights life as he tied it at 3-3 with 1:21 left in regulation. After a wild third period which saw four goals scored, we were going to overtime. 3:56 into the extra session, Tomas Hertl was called for a tripping penalty to put Carolina on the power play again.  Seth Jarvis ended the game with the winning goal  

​​

The Hurricanes are the fourth team in NHL history to win six consecutive overtime games at any point in a postseason, and the third to win their first six straight OT games.

 

The Finals now shifts to Las Vegas with Game 3 being played on Saturday at 5:00pm.