For 20 minutes, the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals exchanged haymakers on offense in a game three that looked like it would be decided by which goalie blinked first. Instead, the Canes turned up the defensive pressure, while goaltender Frederik Andersen refused to blink in a 4-0 win.
The victory gave Carolina a two games to one lead in the best of seven series.
The teams played a scoreless first period, although it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. Andersen and Washington goaltender Logan Thompson combined for 15 saves in the period, including some close calls.
Andersen stopped a shot by Washington’s Tom Wilson 26 seconds into the game and faced three shots in the first 1:15. Later in the period, he was able to save a shot by Alex Ovechkin right in front of the net, as well as a pair of rebound attempts by the NHL’s all-time goals leader.
“I liked our start,” said Washington coach Spencer Carbery. “I thought we’re playing well through first period for sure.”
The Canes had their chances in the first period as well, most notably a Brent Burns backhand that Thompson was able to sit on just before it crossed the line.
Still, Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t want to trade shots with the Caps all night long.
“The key to our win tonight was that first period where they were clearly on their game and we were a little bit on our heels. The goaltending led us and kept us in the game,” Brind’Amour said. “It could have been a lot different if we were chasing it.”
The Canes then turned up the defensive pressure, and Washington saw its scoring opportunities dry up. After getting nine shots on goal in the first period, the Capitals had just 11 the rest of the way and had one shot in a 15-minute stretch in the second period, allowing Carolina to jump on top with goals by Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic.
Once Carolina found its hard-nosed defense, Andersen was able to hold off the few Washington scoring attempts that trickled through, finishing with 21 saves in the shutout. He also enjoyed playing the second half of the game with a lead, a first for this playoff series.
“You work for that,” Andersen said. “You work for that balance, for that goal that gets through, and it’s different playing with a lead, obviously. But the way we played in their end sets it up. It sets it up for us to have a better chance to score again.”
At the same time, the chances for Washington to score were few and far between.
“There’s some good chances of being in that game, but it’s hard against this team,” said Carbery. “They’re the best defensive team in the league, for a reason, right? They’ve got good sticks. They’re big. They’re long. They’re strong. They have a ton of puck battles. They’re all over, right? It’s not just (Jaccob) Slavin. It’s top to bottom. So, you have to work constantly. It’s hard. That’s the challenge, is staying with that first period, second, third period.”
“He’s 100% right,” Brind’Amour said of the Washington coach’s assessment of the Carolina defense. “I mean, it’s hard to get open and hard to get an open shot, and when you do, there’s bodies, you know, as you see, diving in front of pucks. And that’s what playoff hockey is. It’s hard.”
