"Saturday Night Fever": 2025 Postseason, Round 2, Game 3 (Series Tied 1-1): Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals

The series has shifted to Raleigh for the next three days, beginning tonight with Game 3 at the Lenovo Center. The Hurricanes split the first two contests in D.C. to open the series in a 1-1 tie. Both goaltenders have been excellent in the series, but Logan Thompson has been nearly unbeatable through two games. Getting to him early in Game 3 would be the most important key to getting ahead in the series for the second time. 

Scoring Summary
1st Period
None
2nd Period
CAR (12:34)- Andrei Svechnikov (6) (unassisted)
CAR (18:57)- Jack Roslovic (1) PP (Brent Burns (2) & Taylor Hall (3))
3rd Period
CAR (3:13)- Eric Robinson (1) (Logan Stankoven (2) & Jack Roslovic (2))
CAR (16:44)- Jackson Blake (2) PP (Shayne Gostisbehere (4) & Seth Jarvis (5))

My Thoughts
The Washington Capitals had an excellent road period to start the game. Their first three chances were a Tom Wilson breakaway, Nic Dowd's spinning chance, and Taylor Raddysh after a turnover behind the Canes' net. All of them were dangerous chances. All of them were stopped by Frederik Andersen. He also made a few stops against Alex Ovechkin, including a pad stop on a redirection off a draw. The group in front of him didn't start on time, but Andersen was there to pick up the pieces. Washington easily could've drained the energy out of the building with a goal or two in the first period. Instead, the Canes' netminder kept his group in the fight, allowing them to eventually take over the game after scoring the opener in the second period. 

The Hurricanes were the superior team for the final 30 minutes of the game, but the true turning point was their late-period power-play goal to close the second. For as well as Logan Thompson had played to this point, Jack Roslovic's goal from the dot is one he'd like back. Roslovic found a sliver of daylight under Thompson's glove on the short side, snapping it home on the man advantage to double the Canes' lead. That wouldn't be it for the power play. With the game out of reach in the final minutes, Jackson Blake squeaked a rebound under Thompson to make it 4-0, sealing the victory for good. The power play has converted on three straight attempts now after going 2-for-2 tonight. It has come a long way after being a detriment to the group this season.

If you haven't sensed the theme yet, this win was all made possible because of areas of the Hurricanes' game that have caused them problems in recent postseasons. Their goaltending has been incredible. Their power play has been timely. Lastly, they've gotten scoring from the entire lineup. Tonight, Andrei Svechnikov got a goal he's been on the verge of getting for three games now. Then, Roslovic scored. Eric Robinson added another, and Blake finished it. Everyone has joined the fun at points this postseason, allowing the Canes to find some momentum. They're all buying in. Having the big guys scoring it great, but it's going to take everyone to get the job done.

Monday night is a big game for both teams. For Washington, they know they'll have to make a return trip to Raleigh to win this series, so heading home for Thursday's Game in a 2-2 tie could be a massive momentum shift for the Capitals. For Carolina, they'll have a chance to put the series in a stranglehold. Through three games, they've stolen home ice from the conference's top team and maintained it with their win tonight. In a series this tight, three chances to win a series give you a lot of runway, not that you want to waste too many chances. The Canes have momentarily taken control, but things can change in an instant. There's no reason to be comfortable right now.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Frederik Andersen
The first 30 minutes of this game were littered with great chances for the Capitals. Frederik Andersen refused to budge. He kept his team afloat until they decided to turn on the offense. Andersen has been the sharpest goalie in the postseason through a round in a half. His Washington counterpart has been just as sharp. Andersen needed to be the better goalie tonight, and he was by a good margin. Andersen made 21 stops to earn the fourth postseason shutout of his career, and his first with the Hurricanes.

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