It was a shirtless frenzy that sparked a Game 2 comeback for the Carolina Hurricanes. Rolling into Game 3 in Vegas against the Golden Knights, Canes fans have seemingly embraced the 'tarps off' trend.
LAS VEGAS - 'Tarps off' has officially broken containment.
It's Friday night at Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada, and a pair of Carolina Hurricanes fans spot each other on the tram between terminals. One man is very forward, but the other is welcome to his message.
Canes Fan No. 1: "Tarps off?" He asks.
Canes Fan No. 2: "Tarps off." He confirms.
And with that, they bro-hug.
Will they go 'tarps off' in enemy territory when the Vegas Golden Knights host their Hurricanes tonight for Game 3? We shall see. But what we can certainly say is that 'tarps off' has taken on a life of its own.
The phenomenon of men taking off their shirts and going wild for the Jumbotron instantly became iconic midway through the third period of Game 2. Carolina was trailing Vegas 2-0, but signs of life crept in, thanks to a great offensive zone shift that created a lot of pressure and led to Vegas icing the puck. Then a TV timeout occurred, and a Jumbotron plea: tarps off for the boys.
Baseball has been doing this recently with great success, but now Hurricanes fans are all-in. Scores of dudes and dads took off their shirts, and the crowd went wild. Coincidence or not, Logan Stankoven got the Canes on the board soon after, and Carolina went on to win Game 2 in overtime. Needless to say, the players gave an assist to the fans, including the tarp-less soldiers.
"They're crazy, it's an amazing atmosphere," Seth Jarvis, the overtime hero, said. "And to have people like that...it's not warm in there. But it got the energy going, and it kind of kick-started our press there."
Now the series has shifted to Vegas and T-Mobile Arena, also known as 'The Fortress.'
In less than a decade of existence, the Golden Knights have established their home as one of the loudest in the NHL. And while Las Vegas is a tourist town, Carolina fans are obviously going to be outnumbered. Of course, when an amped-up hockey fan takes off their shirt, you tend to give them a little space.
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