"Curtains, Part II (The Happy Ending)": Postseason Round 4, Game 6: Carolina Hurricanes at Vegas Golden Knights

For the first time during this series, the Stanley Cup was in the building. The Carolina Hurricanes got the first crack at trying to win the 35 lbs. of silver after a big win in Game 5. With 15 wins completed, they came into Sunday hunting for the 16th and final victory of the postseason. On the other side, the Vegas Golden Knights were trying to keep their hopes alive. Facing elimination for the first time during these playoffs, the Golden Knights had the crowd advantage, looking to their fans for the extra motivation as they sought to return the series to Raleigh for one final game. With clear goals in front of them, it would take 60 minutes of execution to either realize a dream or prolong the Stanley Cup Final.

Scoring Summary
1st Period
CAR (3:47)- Taylor Hall (7) (Jaccob Slavin (5) & Jackson Blake (13))
2nd Period
CAR (13:31)- Jackson Blake (7) (Logan Stankoven (5))
3rd Period
CAR (18:52-EN)- Nikolaj Ehlers (8) (unassisted)

My Thoughts
If you wanted an exciting conclusion to this Stanley Cup Final, you came to the wrong place. The Carolina Hurricanes did exactly what they've done all season long to finish the job, and it's about as appropriate a way for them to win it as any. Vegas had plenty of chances to score during the first and third periods. They just couldn't. Some of that was Brandon Bussi. Some of that was the team defense. Some of that was a little help from the iron. Combine the three, and it's a recipe for success if you're the Carolina Hurricanes. They deserved this win and this series, and they won it the only way they know how. They made the game boring and insufferable for everyone else to watch, which is exactly how we like to see it done.

The Stankoven line finished the postseason exactly how it started. Taylor Hall broke the seal under four minutes into the game, thanks to a strong defensive effort from Jackson Blake and Jaccob Slavin. Slavin made the pass to spring Hall for the breakaway, and the Canes put Vegas in an early hole. Then, when it felt like we might not get another goal for the rest of the night, Logan Stankoven forechecked like a man possessed. He couldn't get his chances to go, but Blake's shot hit a defensive stick in front of the net and fluttered home to double the lead. This felt like the dagger, even with all of the chances that Vegas got in the third. Blake ensured that he'd finish atop the team with 20 points in the postseason, while Hall followed with 19, and Stankoven with 16. This line was unreal all playoff long.

I'm still in awe of what Bussi can do, even when he comes into a situation cold. It didn't feel like he was ever going to get his chance, even with Rod Brind'Amour's insistence that they'd need both goalies to succeed. He was outstanding in Games 3 through 5, but he was on another planet tonight. He refused to give Vegas even the slightest bit of hope, including some unorthodox saves, like the one he made from his butt on Tomas Hertl in the final minutes. The team in front of him did everything they could to soften the chances he was seeing, but eventually something was going to leak through. When it did, Bussi was there to clean it up. The man just likes to win. After 31 wins in 39 games during the regular season, Bussi ended the year with three straight wins in the Stanley Cup Final. It doesn't get much better than that.

Was Jordan Staal the most valuable player for the Hurricanes or in the league this postseason? Probably not. Does that mean that he doesn't deserve the Conn Smythe Trophy? Not at all. The captain was dynamite during the Stanley Cup Final, and while I know that the Conn Smythe should be for the entire postseason, it's hard to ignore the history that he made during these last six games. He didn't score tonight, but he did in the five games before it. Still, he tied for second on the team in goals (8), was one of their most impactful forwards offensively, especially on the power play, and won almost 57 percent of his draws throughout the postseason. He's the heart and soul of this team, and he has been for a long time. I'm happy for our captain.

First Star of the Game: Brandon Bussi
Jackson Blake deserves a shoutout too, but it couldn't be anyone other than Brandon Bussi. He pitched a 22-save shutout to win the Stanley Cup. That's pretty insane. I don't think I really need to defend it more than that (mostly because I'm tired and still in shock).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2024-25 Regular Season, Game 38 Preview: Hurricanes at Florida Panthers

The Carolina Hurricanes ended 2024 on a slightly sour note in Columbus on New Year's Eve. Kirill Marchenko continued to terrorize the Canes, opening the scoring less than five minutes into the game after being left alone in front of Pyotr Kochetkov. Ty Smith, playing his second game as Shayne Gostisbehere remains out, scored his first goal with the Hurricanes on the power play, getting a friendly bounce off a Jackets' stick to knot the game. Marchenko struck again late in the period, beating a downed Kochetkov for his second of the night. The Canes took control of the contest in the second period, scoring twice to capture the lead. Seth Jarvis laid a perfect saucer pass onto Jack Roslovic's stick as he crashed the net to score his 17th goal of the season. Jesperi Kotkaniemi added one less than three minutes later, finishing a backhander past Elvis Merzlikins. Early in the third period, Dmitri Voronkov got a lucky bounce off Jarvis' leg on the power play to tie the game ...
Read more

2025-26 Regular Season, Game 39 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes picked up two big points on Monday night, earning a victory in the first half of the back-to-back against the New York Rangers. New York got on the board early, scoring on the power play after Vladislav Gavrikov stepped into a one-timer. The Canes' man advantage got it back late in the frame. Operating up two men, Sebastian Aho sniped it top corner on Igor Shesterkin, who had no clue where the puck was. Late in the second, the Rangers got a friendly bounce to regain the lead. The puck hit several players in front of the net before Jonny Brodzinski batted it home. The home team got the bounce back in the third. Jalen Chatfield's initial chance was kicked away, but the rebound hit Jordan Martinook's heel and slid through Shesterkin's pads to knot it up again. With 60 minutes not enough time to settle things, the team took it to overtime. Late in overtime, Taylor Hall drew the penalty that would prove to be the difference. Jackson Blake t...
Read more

"What More Can Fishy Do?": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 40: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens

It's a new year, but the Carolina Hurricanes hoped it meant that things would remain good for them as they begin 2026 in a very good spot. While their last outing against Pittsburgh might not have indicated such, the Canes are atop the division and sit tied for the most points in the conference. Still, they would need a big rebound game after being grossly outclassed on Tuesday. To do so, Rod Brind'Amour put his prized offseason addition back on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Aho and Ehlers were together to begin the season. With Ehlers now producing more consistently, now is the perfect time to reunite them. Scoring Summary 1st Period MTL (3:12)- Nick Suzuki (14) (Alexandre Texier (5) & Sammy Blais (4)) MTL (4:06)- Oliver Kapanen (12) (Ivan Demidov (24) & Juraj Slafkovsky (16)) CAR (10:47-PP)- Nikolaj Ehlers (9) (Alexander Nikishin (11) & Sebastian Aho (22)) CAR (12:19)- Sebastian Aho (15) (Joel Nystrom (8) & Andrei Svechnikov (18)) CAR ...
Read more