The second C stands for 'Clutch.'
Jaccob Slavin propelled the Carolina Hurricanes to a 2-1 overtime win in the opening game of their second round series against the Washington Capitals Tuesday night at Capital One Arena.
The Canes didn't need much longer past overtime to get the job done, as Slavin's shot from the point found its way through traffic and past Logan Thompson just 3:06 into extra time.
"Puck came up to me at the point there and I was just trying to get it to the net," Slavin said. "I knew we had some numbers at the net and I didn't know it went in until I saw Jordan Staal coming with his arms up, yelling at me. It's a huge win for the team."
"He's open, so he's not going to not shoot it," said Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "That's kind of the thought behind it. We got some traffic. I don't know how many shot blocks they had, but they had a lot of blocks tonight. That's why they're a good team or one of the best because they are willing to do that. You have to know that going in and you have to also not be deterred by that. Just have to keep putting it there because they're not giving you much of anything else. Obviously wasn't the greatest of goals, but they all count."
It was a prototypical Hurricanes hockey game, dominating both the shot (33-14) and shot attempt (94-34) counters, but for a long time, it looked like it was going to be a losing effort.
Carolina had the jump early in the game, putting Washington on its heels from the drop of the puck, but a scoreless first followed by a quick strike in the second had the Canes in a hole.
Aliaksei Protas got the scoring started as he slipped a perfectly placed shot past Frederik Andersen's blocker off of the rush.
While it was a good shot, it was still one Andersen needed to save, as it came from well above and outside the dot in the right circle.
While it would have been understandable to see a team get frustrated by having all the chances, but none of the goals, that's just not the way the Hurricanes are.
They're a veteran team that's been here before and they trust their game.
"We're just big believers in that it's going to turn eventually," said Jesperi Kotkaniemi. "Just keep doing our thing and getting shots through and one of them is going to go through and go in the net like we saw tonight."
The Mentors and Early Lessons of the Carolina Hurricanes
Being a rookie in the NHL is never easy.<br><br>Not only are you having to prove yourself at the highest level of hockey, but you're also having to learn how to fit in, carry yourself, be a professional and if you're coming over from Europe, then there's also the added burden of language, culture and so much more.<br><br>It can be a lot for a young guy, but everyone who's played has been there before so many are willing to lend a hand or take a guy under their wing.<br><br>I went around the locker room and asked each <a href="http://thn.com/carolina" target="_blank">Carolina Hurricane</a> who was the player(s) that helped them the most and some of the lessons they've carried with them. Here are their answers:
"Our guys played hard every shift right from the start of the game," Brind'Amour said. "I liked how we were playing. Obviously we were down, but there's a certain game plan. Both teams have it and I thought we were on it tonight. Sometimes you don't get rewarded, but tonight we did."
So Carolina never went away though and eventually their relentless forecheck was rewarded as Protas and Caps defenseman Alexander Alexeyev flubbed a pass under pressure resulting in a deep, in-zone turnover that Logan Stankoven finished top corner past Thompson's glove.
It was just a great play by KK there to get the puck to me," Stankoven said. "Their defenseman kind of was taking away the pass to Hall so I just thought I would rip it and it was nice to see it go in."
"It bounced off the D-man's skate, if I'm not wrong," said Kotkaniemi, who had the primary assist. "Then it was kind of an easy pass to Stankoven and then a hell of a shot. Like I said, a big goal for us."
The Canes were right back in it.
The team just continued to pour it on and not even a failed power play opportunity took the wind out of their sails.
Thompson's heroics, combined with the Capitals commitment to selling out their bodies (Washington finished the game with 32 shot blocks) kept them alive for a while, but eventually the Hurricanes found their bounce, as Slavin won it in overtime.
"It's just about trust," Stankoven said. "That's what our game is all about. Getting inside and lots of shot volume. That's what Rod preaches. Sometimes not everything is going to go in, so you have to be patient and it worked out well for us tonight."
It also can't be overstated how big winning not only the opening game, but a road game is for Carolina in this series.
Many are predicting this one to go the distance so flipping home-ice advantage to their side could be a big tipping point in the final outcome, especially if they can wear the Caps down.
"Anytime you can get a win in a series, whether it's home or on the road, it's always a boost of confidence," Slavin said. "I think especially to get that first one and it being on the road is huge for us and our momentum going forward. Like Roddy always talks about, it's one step of the series. Just keep chugging along."
The Canes will be back back in action at Capital One Arena for Game 2 on Thursday.
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