'That's what you live for': Carter Verhaeghe on earning clutch reputation, showing up in biggest moments
Only two players have scored more overtime goals than Verhaeghe in Stanley Cup Playoff history
The Florida Panthers are as deep and well-balanced of a team as any who qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Florida’s roster is stacked with high-end talent at both forward and defense, and the Panthers have several forwards who are excellent at defending and multiple defensemen with offensive playmaking abilities.
In the goaltending department, Florida featured arguably the best tandem in the NHL this season, led by veteran Sergei Bobrovsky and his puck stopping partner Anthony Stolarz.
Another one of Florida’s key pieces who has carved out an extremely special role for himself is forward Carter Verhaeghe.
Since signing his first contract with the Panthers ahead of the 2020-21 season, Verhaeghe has been a mainstay in Florida’s top six.
He’s grown into a premiere goal scorer and point producer for the Cats, but it’s not just what he does with the puck that has made him such a valuable member of the team, it’s when he does it.
The biggest moments of the game, when a victory is hanging in the balance, are when Verhaeghe seems to shine the brightest.
He scored 19 of his 34 regular season goals during the third period, and he had one of Florida’s six regular season overtime winners as well.
What’s earning him a reputation as one of the NHL’s best clutch players – not just currently, but of all time – is what Verhaeghe has done during the playoffs.
During the opening round against Tampa Bay, Verhaeghe had at least a point in every game, finishing the series with five goals and nine points.
Five of those nine points, including three goals, came during the third period or overtime.
Oh, but it gets better.
Still just 28 years old and with all of 50 postseason games under his belt, Verhaeghe has already scored the third-most overtime goals in Stanley Cup Playoff history.
Only Joe Sakic and Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard have scored more playoff overtime goals than Verhaeghe, who already has five in only 14 postseason overtime appearances.
Two of those five have been series-clinching goals. Both came on the road. One came in a Game 7.
There’s just something about those big moments that cause Verhaeghe to elevate his already elite offensive game to an even higher level.
“I don't know if it's a switch, I don't know what it is, really,” Verhaeghe said. “With the playoffs, like when you're a kid growing up, that is kind of what you live for, right? You're not watching regular season games, screaming at the TV, and yelling and getting excited everywhere. I think that's what makes me more excited, when it gets into a playoff game or an overtime game, because that's what you imagined as a kid, and that's what you live for. I think that means more, and that's why I think I enjoy it more.”
Generally speaking, having the ability to perform at just your normal level of operation when under extreme pressure is already incredibly difficult.
Somehow, people with the clutch gene that Verhaeghe seems to possess have the ability to go above and beyond even their own abilities in those crucial moments.
“Carter is one of those guys that his frequency is chaos,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “The more people that you put in a smaller area, the faster the play happens, the better he is. It seems like he’s more comfortable, he gets the puck on and off his stick faster than it should, or he finds a way to be calm in the chaos.”
It also helps that Verhaeghe is a player with an elite shot on a team full of high hockey IQ playmakers.
While he admits that ultimately, he wants to make the best play every time, shooting the puck is something that he consistently looks to do, and he has the support of the coaching staff to fire away when ready.
“You genuinely try to make the right play,” Verhaeghe said. “If there's a pass there, I'll make it, but if it's close, obviously, I'd have a better chance shooting the puck than making the pass. I think also, ever since Paul (Maurice) and this coaching staff got here, they always encouraged me to shoot the puck more than I had in the past. I think that's kind of where it comes from too, because they're encouraging me to be a shooter. And I guess there's not as many shooters on the team, so if that's my role, I like it.”
Verhaeghe has always spent a lot of time working on his shot, whether it be during the season or when he’s doing his summer training.
It appears all that hard work, and his clutch-centric mindset, are all paying off at the perfect time for the man affectionally known by his teammates as Swaggy.
“There's a lot to it,” Verhaeghe said. “I think getting shots through to the net is hard in this league. Everyone is trying to block shots, and when you can be deceptive and change your angle, you see the best shooters are always pulling it or moving it in different direction, and it fools the goalie, too. Guys like (Auston) Matthews and (David) Pastrnak, guys like that, I watch them and try and pick things off them too.”
Now the only question is how far Verhaeghe will go as the mystique of his incredible postseason performances continues to blossom.
The hard-working, humble kid from Toronto just wants to keep the good times rolling.
“It is pretty cool to get that kind of (reputation),” Verhaeghe said. “It's definitely better than the other way around.”
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