The Carolina Hurricanes finally found their scoring touch Saturday, breaking through with two quick goals in the second period to take control of Game 3 against the Washington Capitals.
Andrei Svechnikov got things started with a lightning-fast play off a face-off, beating Caps defenseman John Carlson to the puck and firing it past goalie Logan Thompson. Just like that, it was 1-0 Carolina.
That goal was huge for the Hurricanes, who’ve been nearly unbeatable when scoring first this season. They came into the game with a remarkable 30-7-2 record when getting the opening goal.
It was also a special moment for Svechnikov. The goal was his 21st career playoff score, putting him second in franchise history. Only teammate Sebastian Aho, with 30 playoff goals, has more.
The Hurricanes weren’t done yet.
Just six minutes later, Jack Roslovic made it 2-0 on the power play, with Brent Burns and Taylor Hall picking up the assists.
For a team that had been struggling to find the net, that second period felt like a breakthrough. Carolina had managed just three goals total in the first two games of the series, with only two coming in regulation time.
It’s not like they hadn’t been trying. The Hurricanes had been absolutely peppering the Capitals’ net, firing an incredible 180 total shots (61 on goal) in the first two games. Meanwhile, Washington had managed just 84 shots total, with 35 on target.
“I’d say luck isn’t there, but we’re not going to change a thing,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said before the game.
Looks like that persistence finally paid off in Game 3. Now the question is: can they keep it going and punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final?
