On Thursday, in a penalty-filled game, the Carolina Hurricanes took a 3-0 lead in the round one series against the Ottawa Senators with a 2-1 win in Game 3.
Since the puck dropped in Canada’s capital for the first time this postseason, the Hurricanes haven’t let off the gas despite two good games on their home floor. They started things off quickly, as Logan Stankoven found the back of the net just five minutes into the game, while Linus Ullmark had only three shots on net.
The other two goals came in the second period. The first came after an accidental nullification of offsides off the stick of Drake Batherson, as Jordan Martinook moved the puck back into the defensive zone, effectively tying the game. The second – the game-winning goal – came off the stick of Jackson Blake, after Taylor Hall’s effort for the secondary assist, and an incredibly deceptive pass from defenseman K’Andre Miller for the primary assist, while Stankoven created chaos in front of Ullmark’s net – screening him with his own teammates.
However, the story of the night did not lie only in crime. The Hurricanes defense was excellent throughout the game.
In the second period, the Hurricanes took five penalties, and they killed every one of them. Midway through the frame, they trailed five-on-three and, surprisingly, did not allow a single shot.
Jacob Slavin led all players on the ice with four blocks throughout the game, while Sean Walker had three blocks.
Both teams finished the game with accurate penalty kills.
storm notes
In the second period, Taylor Hall drew a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head of Jake Sanderson. The Senators’ top-pairing defenseman pitched two more innings and later left the game.
In the third period, Brady Tkachuk took a dirty hit on Jordan Martinuk, causing him to bounce his elbow while skating at the blue line. The play resulted in a major penalty review, but it was ultimately reduced to a minor two-minute penalty for interference.
All three games of the first-round series between the Hurricanes and Senators started with a goal by Logan Stankoven and an assist by Hall.
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