CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS April 16, 2019 - NHL.com
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CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
Canes lose Svechnikov but whip Caps 5-0 for first playoff win in series
By Chip Alexander winning 4-2 and then 4-3 in overtime at Capital One Arena.
But the Canes were the better team Thursday in all three
Raleigh zones and will go into Game 4 on Thursday at PNC Arena
The Carolina Hurricanes needed a few heroes. looking to even the series.
They needed their crowd being loud. Svechnikov’s departure was a downer for Canes fans,
coming after forward Micheal Ferland left with an upper-body
More than anything, the Canes needed a playoff victory over injury in the first.
the Washington Capitals.
The 19-year-old Russian dropped the gloves against the 6-3,
This night, it all came together for the Canes in a 5-0 victory 235-pound Ovechkin in front of the Caps net, trading blows
in Game 3 as the series shifted to PNC Arena and the in a short but brutal fight. Ovechkin landed the heaviest
momentum shifted after the Caps, the defending Stanley punches, dropping Svechnikov with a right and then falling
Cup champions, won the first two games. on him.
Canes rookie forward Andrei Svechnikov left the game with Svechnikov was helped off the ice, and his injury incensed
an injury in the first period, battered in a fight with the Caps’ Canes fans and further revved up the Canes players, who
Alex Ovechkin. For the Canes and their coach, Rod came at the Caps with a fury.
Brind’Amour, that was unsettling.
“I kept thinking about it the whole game,” Hamilton said. “I
“When you see that it makes you sick. I’m still stick to my just hated seeing that, the whole part of it, it’s just something
stomach,” Brind’Amour said. you never want to see. I just feel bad for him and hopefully
Warren Foegele and Dougie Hamilton, two of Svechnikov’s he gets better soon. The game doesn’t really matter when
best friends on the team, hated to see him down and hurt. something like that happens and I just hope he’s OK.”
But they responded in the right way, each scoring twice and Before the fight, which came at 10:59 of the first, Foegele
Foegele adding an assist as the Canes won their first playoff went to the front of the net and didn’t leave until he scored,
game since May 14, 2009. giving the Canes a 1-0 lead -- Carolina’s first lead of the
“We were relentless and kept going after them,” Hamilton series. Defenseman Justin Faulk got off an outside shot, the
said. puck hitting Foegele in front of goalie Braden Holtby.
Hamilton scored on power plays in the second and third In the second period, it was Foegele again. On a rush into
periods as the sellout crowd of 18,783, which included NHL the Caps zone, Sebastian Aho waited for defenseman Matt
commissioner Gary Bettman, rumbled from start to finish. Niskanen to go down, then found Foegele open in front of
When Brock McGinn, who had a goal and assist, scored in the net.
the third, it was 5-0. Canes fans were hoarse by then but still “I love these moments, I think all of us love these moments,”
loud enough. said Foegele, named the game’s first star. “This is when it
Goalie Petr Mrazek earned his fourth career playoff shutout counts, when it matters.”
and had little work after the first period as the aggressive By that point, the Canes were landing body checks all over
Canes kept the puck much of the game. Carolina finished the ice. It was an increasingly physical game, nasty at times.
with 45 shots while limiting the Caps to 18 for the game -- The Canes were credited with 52 hits -- 10 by Jordan Staal,
one in the second period and seven in the third. who also had two assists.
The Canes again lifted their sticks and took a bow after the “They were a desperate team and were at a different level
game but were not that joyful in the locker room, with than we were,” Caps coach Todd Reirden said. “They were
Svechnikov in their minds. definitely ready to go from the beginning, as expected. It was
“Proud of our group, to come back and play the game,” a a live atmosphere in the building. They got some energy
somber Brind’Amour said. “We just played hard. Our guys from it. It’s one game and now it’s how we respond.”
understood the situation we were in tonight.” And how the Canes respond, having tasted victory in the
The Caps were the poised, patient team in winning the first playoffs.
two games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series,
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
Playoffs plus beautiful day equals the perfect storm
By Jonas Pope IV The line to purchase a hot-off-the-press shirt with ‘Surge
Together’ on the front grew longer by the minute. The Stormy
RALEIGH bouncy house was popular with the kids and fans had to wait
Rachel Gamble grew up in the dead of hockey country - in a line two-deep at a chance to play corn hole. The Party
central New York - so she knows passionate playoff hockey Plaza isn’t new - the Hurricanes have done it, or attempted to
when she sees it. do it, 12 times this season. Various weather conditions that
didn’t cooperate shut it down, but Monday was perfect.
She is as qualified as anyone to vouch for a great playoff
atmosphere. So when she arrived at PNC Arena around 4 Gamble hopped in her car and drove the 740 miles to PNC
p.m., three hours before the puck dropped, she was blown to see the Hurricanes. She comes down for two or three
away at the fact that so many people had already made their games a year, but the mood outside the arena for the
way to the parking lot in preparation for Game 3 of the playoffs were a different animal.
Stanley Cup playoffs between the Carolina Hurricanes and “They are here early, and they are having fun and they are
the Washington Capitals. excited,” Gamble said. “They are really excited for hockey in
A near perfect 70 degree day, combined with spring break North Carolina which is really fun to see. And the Hurricanes
for many local schools meant the lots around PNC were busy have stepped up as an organization to make it fun. People
earlier than usual. Typically lots open at 4 for a 7 p.m. game. are here an hour early before doors are open … for hockey.”
On Tuesday they opened at 2 p.m. Actually fans were there as early as three hours for this one.
Street hockey games broke out in lot 1000, as well as flag Gamble took off a week from her job to be here for Games 3
football and cornhole. The grills were going early and the and 4, also Game 6 if the series goes that far. Many parents
typical North Carolina pollen was thankfully washed away made the trip to PNC a family affair on Monday. Several of
due to a shower the night before. Mother Nature, obviously, the kids who participated in the pregame festivities looked
must be a Hurricanes fan. like they weren’t even born the last time Carolina made the
playoffs. Any history lesson they needed was in the
This was the perfect storm for playoff hockey in North Hurricanes mobile unit, which was an interactive truck
Carolina and the 10-year postseason drought only added to parked in front of PNC, one of the many options for the fans,
the excitement. young and old.
The place to be, however, was the Party Plaza. Located Tad Wood, a Raleigh resident, said he picked the perfect
directly in front of PNC, the Party Plaza was part carnival, time to purchase season tickets. This year was the first time
part social event. There was a DJ set up toward Carter- he got some, and as he overlooked the Party Plaza, he
Finley Stadium. Radio stations did their show live from the raved about the mood surrounding the first home playoff
bricks, all the food you can eat, and games and face paint for game in a long, long, time.
the kids. And the closer it got the the puck drop, the more
people flooded the area. “The number of people who are tailgating, partying, getting
here early,” Wood said. “It’s just, not just here but in the
whole community. The excitement around is neat.”
Svechnikov injury leaves Canes sick but motivated
By Joe Giglio “He has a special bond with our group and me, too,” Canes
coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “When you see that, it makes
Andrei Svechnikov asked Washington Capitals star Alex you sick. I’m still sick to my stomach about it.”
Ovechkin if he wanted to fight.
Svechnikov wasn’t available to talk to the media after the
It was the last thing the Carolina Hurricanes rookie did on game. Brind’Amour said he checked on him after the first
Monday in Game 3 and maybe for the rest of the first-round period but didn’t see him after the game.
series. Ovechkin appeared to knock Svechnikov out with a
punch and did knock him out of the game at 10:59 in the first “I came in after the (first) period to check on him and he
period. wasn’t looking too good,” Brind’Amour said.
The fight was the only thing the Canes lost on Monday. They Ovechkin, the NHL’s leading goal-scorer during the regular
won their first home playoff game in 10 years with a 5-0 season and the playoff MVP last year, said Svechnikov had
domination of the Caps. But it was mostly without their rookie asked the veteran Russian star to fight.
right wing, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft who
scored 20 goals this season. “I’m not a big fighter, he’s the same way,” Ovechkin said. “He
asked me to fight and I said, ‘Let’s go.’ I hope he’s OK. You
Svechnikov needed help off the ice and he didn’t return. The don’t want to see a guy get hurt.”
head injury, and possible concussion — officially “upper
body” according to the team’s injury report — could keep the The skirmish and pushing between the two Russians leading
19-year-old rising star out for more than just the time he up to the fight lasted longer than the actual fisticuffs.
missed on Monday. Svechnikov, who had two goals in Game 1, was pushing and
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
shoving with Ovechkin along the boards in the Washington The score was tied at 0-0 when the fight happened and the
zone and then out in front of the goal. Canes were able to take a 1-0 lead by the end of the period.
Svechnikov nodded affirmatively to Ovechkin and the The fight added to the intensity of the game, or a “little more
Washington captain quickly dropped his stick and gloves. snarl” as Canes captain Justin Williams put it. But the Canes
Ovechkin grabbed Svechnikov’s right shoulder with his left were buzzing around and playing with energy before the
hand and quickly tied the Canes’ rookie up. fight. The Canes played with “more desperation” as
Washington coach Todd Reirden said multiple times.
Svechnikov threw the first two punches but didn’t land either
with any force. Ovechkin missed his first right hand but the The fight might have thrown Ovechkin off. He was dominant
second landed square on Svechnikov’s jaw. The punch, on early, as were the Caps, seeking to take a 3-0 series lead,
the replay, appeared to knock Svechnikov out before he hit but quiet after those first 10 minutes. The Caps only had one
the ice. shot in the second period, as a team, and went about 30
minutes with only registering one shot on goal.
The hard landing on the ice didn’t help. Carolina defenseman
Justin Faulk and two of the officials immediately signaled to “We can’t play like that if we want to win,” Ovechkin said.
the Carolina bench for medical help. “We’re better than that.”
Svechnikov was on the ice for a few minutes before Faulk The Canes also missing forward Micheal Ferland, with an
and Jordan Staal helped him slowly off the ice. The image of “upper body” injury, after the first period but were able to
a staggered Svechnikov stayed with the Canes. overcome the unexpected shortage of forwards.
“I kept thinking about it the whole game,” Canes defenseman Svechnikov was the Canes’ leader in points (3) through the
Dougie Hamilton said. “I just hated seeing that, the whole first two playoff games and had been moved up to a line with
part of it. It’s just something you never want to see. I just feel Staal and Williams. Warren Foegele was one of the forwards
bad for him and hopefully he gets better soon.” who picked up Svechnikov’s ice time. Foegele scored the
game’s first two goals and added an assist.
Both players got a five-minute penalty for fighting. Ovechkin
went to the penalty box and actually got a bag of ice for his “It’s an unfortunate incident there, but that’s our brother and
sore right hand. we all stand up for each other,” Foegele said. “We knew we
needed to get this win, not just for us but for him.”
PNC brings the noise after 10 years away
By Luke DeCock invest in their D, play in their end and play hard, and tonight
we did all those things.”
Raleigh
FERLAND EXITS Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland left
Warren Foegele, 13 when the last playoff game was played the game early in the first period, and coach Rod
at PNC Arena, had heard the stories about what it’s like Brind’Amour offered an exceedingly tepid description of his
inside the building when the games really matter. Now, he injury afterward.
believes them.
“He had an upper body thing he said was lingering,”
“Crazy,” said the surprise two-goal star in the Carolina Brind’Amour said. “He said it affected him in Game 1 and
Hurricanes’ 5-0 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 3. then reaggravated it. So he came out.”
“I’ve never been in a place like that before where I literally
couldn’t hear anything. I was trying to talk to someone on the With Svechnikov undoubtedly out for Game 4 and beyond
bench once, and my ears were numb. It was a pretty surreal and Ferland apparently unable to play, look for the
moment.” Hurricanes to make a call-up from Charlotte (AHL) before
Thursday; with his skill level, Martin Necas is probably the
Washington coach Todd Reirden had talked Monday Checkers player most capable of getting thrown into the
morning about how he expected the building to fuel the deep end of the playoff pool.
Hurricanes, having been on the visiting bench as a
Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach for the last playoff game LONG, LONG SERIES Already a Hurricanes fan favorite,
here, in May 2009. His fears were well founded. Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik added another page to
his legend when he speared Jordan Martinook in the groin
Even before the emotional flashpoint of Washington star Alex during the second period. Martinook was doubled over in
Ovechkin knocking out Hurricanes rookie Andrei Svechnikov pain after he made it back to the bench; no penalty was
in a one-sided fight, the Hurricanes fed off the emotion of the called on the play.
crowd from the start. By the third period, every hit was
accompanied by a wall of sound. “It’s the playoffs,” Martinook said. “Guys are going to sneak
them in. It’s not a very good play, but it’s a long, long series.”
“You could feel that in the building, obviously an emotional
game,” Hurricanes center Jordan Staal said. “When you MATCH SCRATCH Brind’Amour said the Hurricanes got an
know every hits going to get you fired up, it gets you going, explanation from the league for the Ferland match penalty
maybe gives you the boost to take a couple extra strides and Saturday. The NHL officially rescinded the penalty, removing
finish them off. But we knew we had to invest physicality, the automatic suspension attached to it, and Ferland was in
the lineup Monday night.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
MIX AND MATCH Looking for an offensive spark, TAILWINDS Greg McKegg drew back into the lineup Monday
Brind’Amour put the Finns back together, with Sebastian Aho for Saku Manaelanen, who had an impact on Carolina’s first
centering Teuvo Teravainen and Nino Niederreiter, and goal Saturday but didn’t play much after that because of all
moved Svechnikov up with Staal and Justin Williams. the special teams and the Hurricanes’ deficit. … U.S.
shootout specialist T.J. Oshie did not watch the American
“If we don’t get our best players playing their best we’re not women’s controversial shootout victory over Finland at the
going to win,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s pretty standard World Championships on Sunday. “I was playing Mario Kart,”
across the board. We need a little more out of them the Capitals forward said. Former Hurricanes trainer Pete
obviously – that’s obvious.” Friesen served in that role for the U.S. team. He has been a
Aho, Teravainen and Staal all posted even-strength assists, part of gold-medal teams for both the United States and
but the lines went out the window when the Hurricanes were Canada. … Calvin de Haan (“upper body”) practiced again
down to 10 forwards after the departures of Svechnikov and Monday but remains out indefinitely.
Ferland.
Capitals stunned by Game 3: ‘We didn’t play our game at all’
By Ken Tysiac score as the Hurricanes extended their lead to 3-0 heading
into the second intermission.
Raleigh
“They played pretty well the first two games, too,”
Perhaps the turnaround was sparked by the towel-waving Washington goalie Braden Holtby said of the Hurricanes.
PNC Arena crowd of 18,783 that had waited far too long for “We were just more poised breaking out of our end [in
the Carolina Hurricanes to play a home playoff game. Games 1 and 2]. We were all on the same page, committed.
Maybe the Hurricanes’ revival in the first-round NHL playoff I don’t think the did anything different that surprised us.
series was fueled by the desperation of a team that knew it That’s why it’s a positive move forward, because we know
couldn’t afford to fall behind three games to none against the we can fix that and rebound in Game 4.”
defending Stanley Cup champions. From the Capitals’ perspective, it’s difficult to tell the effect
Whatever the reason, the Washington Capitals appeared on the game of a first-period fight that resulted in 19-year-old
stunned Monday night as Carolina used a high-energy Hurricane rookie Andrei Svechnikov being helped from the
performance to win 5-0 in Game 3 and cut their deficit in the ice. Ovechkin connected on two punches to Svechnikov’s
best-of-seven series to 2-1. head and knocked him to the ice. Svechnikov was unable to
return because of what was termed an upper-body injury.
“We knew they weren’t going to sit back and wait for
something to happen,” Washington captain Alex Ovechkin Holtby said the Capitals wasted the energy the fight might
said. “We knew they were going to push, and we knew they have created. Washington coach Todd Reirden said the
were going to play hard, and they did. But I think tonight, all Hurricanes might have gotten some momentum from the
four lines didn’t play the right way. We didn’t play our game fight. Capitals defenseman John Carlson said the game’s
at all.” opening goal, scored by Foegele shortly before the fight, was
what gave Carolina its momentum.
After scoring the first three goals in the series opener and the
first two goals in Game 2 in Washington, the Capitals fell flat Ultimately, Reirden said, the Hurricanes just played like the
in the first playoff game in Raleigh in 10 years. more desperate team.
The second period in particular brought a performance by “I think they fed off the energy from their building tonight as
Carolina that was so dominant that it was difficult to imagine we did in Washington, and we know we’ve got to be better
that Washington entered the game with a 2-0 series lead. on Thursday [in Game 4],” he said. “It’s one game, and now
The Hurricanes applied relentless pressure in the period, it’s how do we respond? I know how our team has
outshooting the Capitals 18-1. At one point during the period responded since the All-Star break, since the trade deadline,
Washington was so out of sync that it was whistled for three after a loss. I expect us to be better, and I think we will be.”
icing penalties in a matter of minutes.
Warren Foegele scored his second goal of the game in the
second period, and Dougie Hamilton added a power-play
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
An emotional and cathartic Hurricanes victory, but at what cost?
By Luke DeCock The two faced off midway through the first after exchanging
slashes and a butt-end. It didn’t last long. Ovechkin
Raleigh connected with Svechnikov’s chin, knocking him
Roar after roar after roar, the building shook with fury and unconscious while Svechnikov was still on his feet. Ovechkin
anger. Secure in a comfortable lead, the Carolina Hurricanes continued to swing wildly as Svechnikov toppled backward,
took out their frustration, each hit further amping up the which looked malicious but is a natural product of someone
volume. flailing away at an opponent who’s no longer there.
Ten years of pent-up frustration and three games of steadily “I’m not a big fighter, and he’s the same way,” Ovechkin said.
building bile were released Monday night in a cathartic third “He asked me to fight and I said, ‘Let’s go, yeah.’ I hope he’s
period, the Hurricanes finally not only standing their ground OK. You don’t want to see a guy get hurt.”
against the Washington Capitals but absolutely dominating An emotional Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour had a
them. different view of it: “He slashes him twice, Ovie, whack-
Even Gary Bettman was there to see it, this resumption of whack, and then Svech gives it back. I don’t know if there’s
normal service after so many years in the hockey wilderness, words exchanged, but one guy’s gloves come off way first
a 5-0 win that certainly altered the balance of power heading and that’s Ovie’s, not our guy’s. So it’s a little bit frustrating
into Game 4, the Capitals still up 2-1 in the series but no because he got hurt. It’s his first fight. Played 90 games.
longer with the air of invulnerability the defending champions Never fought in his life. Pretty sure Ovie knew that. That stuff
carried with them into the series. bothers me. But it’s done.”
“Listen, we pushed them out of this game,” Hurricanes The problem isn’t with Ovechkin or Svechnikov or the
captain Justin Williams said. “If they’re going to beat us, running battle between them that started in October and
we’re not going to go quietly. That I can promise you. It’s escalated in each game since, the upstart trying to measure
only one game. Only counts as one.” himself against the legend but giving away 40 pounds and 15
years of hard-won experience. The problem is with a game
Still, underneath the noise, amid the celebration, the that endorses this atavistic bare-knuckle brawling,
question had to be asked: At what cost? consequences be damned, out of some misguided hard-
The Hurricanes held serve at home, but a promising career scrabble Alberta prairie notion of toughness.
like few that has come this way was put at risk for no real The consequences, as seen here, can be dangerous. Even
reason. potentially deadly. (What if Svechnikov’s helmet had slid up
Win the battle, lose the war? an inch just before his head hit the ice?) That could be a
career-changing concussion for Svechnikov, no one knows,
A Pyrrhic victory this was, with Andrei Svechnikov knocked and for what? No game, no playoff game, is worth that.
out cold in a first-period fight, Micheal Ferland disappearing
even before that and Jordan Martinook surviving a Brooks But that’s the uncertainty the Hurricanes, and Svechnikov,
Orpik spear to the groin. face now, no matter what else happens in this series.
But it was a victory, not anything to be disregarded, the “The games don’t really matter when something like that
Hurricanes’ first in the playoffs since May 14, 2009, the happens,” Dougie Hamilton said. “I just hope he’s OK.”
Game 7 victory in Boston fueled by a different kind of And it remains a series, the Hurricanes taking care of
emotion when Scott Walker scored the overtime winner while business thanks to two goals from Warren Foegele and two
bearing the mental load of his wife’s cancer diagnosis. power-play snipes from Hamilton, their big guns still misfiring
The emotion fueling the Hurricanes on Monday was hate, the but harmlessly on this night, thanks to a crowd-fueled
old-fashioned playoff hockey variety, the kind that felt a lot defensive performance that all but shut down the Capitals’
more like 2001, when Scott Stevens knocked out Shane high-powered offense. Petr Mrazek needed only 18 saves for
Willis and Ron Francis in quick succession, Sandis Ozolinsh what may not have been the easiest of his four career playoff
fought Stevens in a brawl-filled Game 3 – yes, that actually shutouts but was certainly the quietest in terms of workload.
happened – and the Hurricanes rallied to win Game 4 in After all these years, the result was worth the wait, the grim
overtime and avoid a sweep before pushing the series to six circumstances of the first period less so, and the suddenly
games. short-handed Hurricanes have two days to recover and
There’s still a lot of history yet to be written in this series, but regroup. They’ll need it. The emotion expended Monday will
however it ends, Alex Ovechkin’s knockout of Svechnikov, not easily be replenished, the players lost not easily
the culmination of a season-long battle between the two, will replaced.
loom large in the telling. But that’s how it goes in the playoffs, and the Hurricanes are
back in them, officially now, as deep as it gets.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
Canes’ Svechnikov injured after fight with Caps’ Ovechkin
By Chip Alexander Both players were given five-minute fighting majors at 10:59
of the first period. Ovechkin went to the penalty box, where
Raleigh he was booed heavily by Canes fans at PNC Arena.
Carolina Hurricanes rookie forward Andrei Svechnikov left The Canes also lost forward Micheal Ferland to an upper-
his team’s 5-0 playoff win over the Washington Capitals body injury in the first period. Ferland left the game soon
Monday after a fight with Caps star Alex Ovechkin that left after putting a body check on the Caps’ Tom Wilson along
Svechnikov down and injured. the boards.
After the two Russians exchanged a few slashes and shoves Svechnikov and Ovechkin had a few collisions and run-ins
in front of the Caps net, the two dropped the gloves and Saturday in Game 2 in Washington. Ovechkin put a hard hit
began throwing punches. Ovechkin, who outweighs the 19- on Svechnikov in the corner on one play, and two got their
year-old rookie by 40 pounds, landed a few heavy punches sticks up and had at each other at another point in the game.
to Svechnikov’s head, the last as Svechnikov was falling,
then landed on top of him as Svechnikov fell hard to the ice After the Canes’ morning skate Monday, Svechnikov was
and banged his head. asked about competing against Ovechkin, a 51-goal scorer
this season and considered the best Russian to play in the
Svechnikov, who scored both goals in the Canes’ 4-2 loss in NHL.
Game 1, needed assistance from medical personnel on the
ice and then was helped to the locker room. He did not return “I followed him as a kid,” Svechnikov said. “Good guy.
to the game and his playing status moving forward in the Leader of that team. It’s fun to play against him.”
series was not known.
‘I wouldn’t challenge him to fight’: Alex Ovechkin KOs Andrei Svechnikov as Capitals-
Hurricanes series turns nasty
By Chris Kuc On Monday, Ovechkin and Svechnikov exchanged jabs with
their sticks — and words — and Ovechkin, who has 40
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sitting in the penalty box moments after pounds on the Hurricanes rookie, said it was Svechnikov
jackhammering his right fist into the face of fellow Russian who then challenged him to fight.
Andrei Svechnikov, Alex Ovechkin plopped a bag of ice on
his knuckles. “First of all, I hope he’s OK,” Ovechkin, 33, said. “I’m not a
big fighter, and he’s the same. He asked me to fight and
The first-round series between the Capitals and Hurricanes said, ‘Let’s go.’ I hope he’s OK. You don’t want to see a guy
is, as they say, on. There were scuffles all over the ice during get hurt or something.”
the Hurricanes’ 5-0 throttling of the defending Stanley Cup
champions Monday night at PNC Arena. That isn’t a huge Said Capitals defenseman John Carlson: “I’ve seen
surprise as there aren’t too many postseason series that (Ovechkin) fight before. It’s not like I was expecting him to
don’t ramp up in intensity as they move forward, but the get beat up or anything. But I wouldn’t challenge him to
ferocity of the physical play was a bit startling after relatively fight.”
tame Games 1 and 2. Suddenly, a barroom brawl broke out,
and it doesn’t figure to stop until the final handshake line of Unfortunately, Svechnikov apparently did, and it was a scary
the series. sight to see one of the most talented young players in the
league being helped off the ice.
While there were heavy hits and post-whistle skirmishes from
the outset, it was a fight between two players who don’t drop “I kept thinking about him the whole game,” said Hurricanes
the gloves often that set the tone for the game and likely the defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who scored two power-play
rest of the series. goals. “I just hated seeing that. I just hated the whole part of
it. (It’s) just something you never want to see. I just feel so
Midway through the first period, Ovechkin and Svechnikov bad for him, and hopefully, he gets better soon. The game
squared off, and the result was ugly. Svechnikov took doesn’t really matter when something like that happens, you
repeated right hands to the face before falling backward and just can’t get it out of your head. I just hope he’s OK.”
hitting the back of his head on the ice. The 19-year-old
rookie, who had fought once in the OHL but never in the After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he
NHL, had to be helped to the dressing room and didn’t didn’t have an update on Svechnikov’s condition.
return. “When you see that, it makes you sick,” Brind’Amour said.
Ovechkin had three previous fights during his NHL career but “(I’m) still sick to my stomach about it.”
hadn’t had one since a bout with the Rangers’ Brandon When asked to comment on the fight specifically,
Dubinsky on Dec. 12, 2010, according to HockeyFights.com. Brind’Amour seemed to put the onus on Ovechkin.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
“How do you comment on it?” Brind’Amour said. “It’s tough after it. We kind of wasted that energy that (Ovechkin)
because I just heard Ovi talk about it. He said our guy created. (If) that happens again we won’t sit back.”
challenged him. So, if that’s the case it’s a little different. But
if you watch the video — because I got to watch it — he Ovechkin said it was just a matter of time before things
slashes him twice, Ovi, whack, whack, and then Svech gives turned nasty between the teams.
him back and then I don’t know if there’s words exchanged, “We knew they weren’t going to sit back and wait for
but one guy’s gloves come off way first, and that’s Ovi’s. something to happen,” Ovechkin said. “We knew they were
That is not our guy’s. So, it’s a little bit frustrating because going to push. We knew they were going to play hard, and
(Svechnikov) got hurt. It’s his first fight. He’s played 90 they did.”
games. He’s never fought in his life and I’m pretty sure Ovi
knew that. So, that stuff bothers me. But, it’s done.” That effort helped the Hurricanes cut the Capitals’ lead in the
best-of-seven series to 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for
It is far from done. Thursday night at PNC Arena.
Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby said it was “big for “We have two days (and) we’re going to get some rest and
(Ovechkin) to show his emotion.” forget about this loss,” Ovechkin said. “You can’t win four in
“He plays hard,” Holtby said. “(Svechnikov) is a kid that takes a row in the playoffs. It’s hard. Everybody is going to be
a lot of cheap shots and that kind of thing. It was playoff battling, everybody is going to play hard.”
hockey. But the biggest thing is we didn’t respond very well
‘That’s our brother’: Hurricanes rally around Andrei Svechnikov for Game 3 win as playoff
hockey returns to The Triangle
By Sara Civian When Alexander Ovechkin knocked out countryman
Svechnikov in the first period of the Hurricanes’ 5-0, Game 3
Dougie Hamilton has been typecast for most of his seven- win at PNC Arena, Hamilton couldn’t hide his concern.
season NHL career.
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through on
First, he was Public Enemy No. 1 of all locker rooms. His the ice,” he told The Athletic postgame. “I don’t really even
alleged tendency to opt for museum visits instead of know what to say. I just kept thinking of him the whole game.
lukewarm Natty Ice with the boys is what allegedly got him I just hated seeing that. I hated the whole part of it. I just feel
kicked off two teams. Trading an elite defenseman for being so bad for him. Hopefully, he gets better soon. The game
a loner sounds like more of a problem with management and doesn’t really matter when something like that happens. You
the homogeneity of this sport than it does the loner, but that’s just can’t get that out of your head. I just hope he’s OK.”
a story for another day.
Svechnikov scored two goals in Game 1. Hamilton and
All of this speculation on Hamilton’s social life, spouted Foegele returned the favor with two apiece in front of a finally
mostly by folks whose sole interactions with him occur in sold-out PNC Arena.
front of cameras and bright lights, has forced him into
another role. “It’s an unfortunate incident there, but that’s our brother,”
Foegele said. “We stand up for each other. We knew we
Now, he is Champion of the Nerds. needed to get this win not just for us, but for him … he’s one
He’s become the ambassador of the niche fans in a niche of my best friends.”
sport. That’s certainly preferable to Locker Room Cancer, but Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said Svechnikov had left the
hold on a second. building before he could check in on his 19-year-old prodigy.
Is any of this even true? Obviously, the injury is listed as upper-body. Svechnikov
exited the game in a daze after the fight, and though the
Has anyone ever seen the man in a museum? details are unclear, Ovechkin said Svechnikov started it.
No one knows who the real Dougie Hamilton is, and frankly “Yeah, first of all, I hope he’s OK — I’m not a big fighter and
it’s journalistically irresponsible to pretend like we do — hero he’s the same,” Ovechkin said. “He asked me to fight and
or villain. said, ‘Let’s go.’ I hope he’s OK. You don’t want to see a guy
He’s soft-spoken, for sure. He’ll offer a knowing laugh when get hurt or something. We got maybe a little bit frustrated
his teammates occasionally joke about a post-win museum and too confident. We just have to forget about it and move
trip. He’s also one of the most thoughtful interviews when forward.”
you treat him like a human being instead of an end to a Brind’Amour, who has said multiple times this season that he
means in the form of a good quote. “loves the kid (Svechnikov),” was visibly emotional after the
It’s safe to assume he never wanted to be a villain or a hero. game.
He’d prefer his close friendships with Canes rookies Andrei “Svech means a lot to us, he’s a young kid that just turned
Svechnikov and Warren Foegele weren’t some juicy 19,” he said. “He has a special bond with our group, with me
storyline, but the three are very close friends, and suddenly too. So when you see that, it makes you sick. I’m still sick to
that means everything. my stomach about it. How do you comment on it? It’s a littleCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
tough because I just heard Ovi talk about it, and he said our against in the second period — the fewest in a regulation
guy challenged him, but if you watch the video he (Ovechkin) period in franchise postseason history. The one with the
slashes him twice and Svech gets him back. I don’t know if prom-day zit got help from his two best friends in the form of
there’s words to explain. But one guy’s gloves came off first four collective goals.
and that was Ovi’s, not ours … he’s never fought in his life,
and I’m pretty sure Ovi knew that.” This was one of the loudest buildings Hamilton said he’d
ever played in, for better and for worse.
The situation left the sort of blemish that would only appear
on your face the night before the prom on an otherwise And he was a hero, but it was on his own terms for once.
perfect playoff night in Raleigh. The “museum-loving Canadian purist loner” was fighting for
his Russian friend.
This area has been bereft of all the trappings of playoff
hockey for a decade. Its near-perfect return was a reminder Playoff hockey has returned to Raleigh, and it’s here where
that even the most glorious postseason wins aren’t all the Hurricanes finally showed us consistently what we’ve
sunshine and tailgates. only seen in spurts. This team knows itself, and it’s never
been talented enough to rely on a rogue slot shot from a
When the blemish appeared, though, the Hurricanes couldn’t Rocket Richard winner for a win. But when something scary
have mustered a better response. They allowed one shot happens to one of the “brothers,” the rest will find a way.
Hurricanes overcome injuries, crush Caps 5-0 in Game 3
Carolina rookie Andrei Svechnikov left the game after a fight The Capitals went nearly 23 minutes without a shot — from
with Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin 7:46 left in the first until 4:47 was remaining in the second —
as the Hurricanes punished the Washington defense and
Cory Lavalette added to their lead with Hamilton’s power play goal at 11:40
RALEIGH — Already down two games in their first-round of the middle frame.
series against the Washington Capitals, it would have been Hamilton added another midway through the third, and then
easy for the Carolina Hurricanes to throw in the towel in Brock McGinn capped the scoring with his first career playoff
Game 3 when they went down two forwards. goal aside the final five minutes.
Not this team. Not Monday night. “Everybody stepped up,” captain Justin Williams said.
Rookie Warren Foegele scored twice and added an assist, “Warren scoring a couple goals, Dougie scoring a couple
and Dougie Hamilton added two power play goals as the goals. It was nice that they were kind of the guys Svechnikov
Hurricanes overcame first-period injuries to Andrei hangs out with quite a bit. and they picked him up, scored a
Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland to win their first playoff couple apiece.
game since May 14, 2019, 5-0 in front of a rabid standing- The first period was one of highs and lows for the Hurricanes
room-only sellout crowd of 18,783 at PNC Arena. — with the pivotal moment being the injury to Svechnikov.
“The crowd was awesome,” said Jordan Staal, who finished Foegele’s first goal — scored when a Justin Faulk point shot
with a career-high 10 hits in the win. “It’s been a long time deflected off of him in front of the Capitals’ net and popped
coming. I was really excited, personally, and I know into the goal past Braden Holtby (40 saves) for a 1-0
everyone else in this room was excited to get in front of the Carolina lead — was followed by two injuries.
crowd. I saw the tailgaters driving in and everything. It was
really cool for me.” First, Micheal Ferland went to the locker room and was later
ruled out for the game with an upper body injury.
Foegele opened the scoring in the first period, giving
Carolina its first lead of the series, then — elevated off the “He had an upper body thing that he said was lingering, he
fourth line due to the injuries — scored again six minutes into said affected him in Game 1 and reaggravated it,”
the second period as Carolina took over the game. Brind’Amour said bluntly. “So he came out.”
“I love these moments. I think all of us love these moments,” Then, prized rookie Andrei Svechnikov fought Washington
Foegele said. “This is when it counts, this is when it matters.” captain Alexander Ovechkin and got the worst of it. OvechkinCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
connected on a couple punches, and then Svechnikov’s Foegele was equally shaken by Svechnikov’s injury.
head looked like it hit the ice as the two tumbled to the
ground. He left with help from teammates, clearly dazed. “It’s an unfortunate incident there, but that’s our brother,” he
said. “You know, we stand up for each other and we knew
Brind’Amour was more emotional when discussing the 19- we needed to get this win, not just for us but for him.”
year-old rookie.
It was a win Carolina needed to get back in the series, which
“Svech means a lot to us,” said Brind’Amour, who added that now stands at 2-1 in favor of the Capitals with Game 4 in
he did not have an update on Svechnikov’s injury. “Young Raleigh on Thursday.
kid, just turned 19. So he has a special bond, I think, with our
group and me too. So when you see that, it makes you sick. “I don’t know how much more I can ask of these guys,”
I’m still sick to my stomach about it.” Brind’Amour said. “They’ve gone to the well, and they just
keep responding. It’s nice to have a two-day break right now
In what should have a triumphant locker room after the win, — we need it more than anybody probably in the league.”
the realization the Hurricanes were back in the best-of-seven
series was tempered by Svechnikov’s injury. Notes: Saku Maenalanen was a healthy scratch. … Calvin
de Haan skated with the team at the morning skate but
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through on the missed the game and has not played this postseason. …
ice,” said Hamilton, who scored his first playoff goal since Petr Mrazek stopped 18 shots for his fourth career playoff
May 3, 2014, with Boston. “I don’t really know what to say. I shutout. … The Hurricanes outshot Washington 45-18. …
just kept thinking about him the whole game. Hamilton has point in all three games of the series. …
Ferland has played a combined 18:52 in the three games.
“I just hated seeing that. I hated the whole part of it,” he He was ejected in Game 2 and left Game 3 after just 2:08 of
added. “It’s just something you never want to see. I just feel ice time.
so bad for him. Hopefully he gets better soon. The game
doesn’t really matter when something like that happens. You
just can’t get that out of your head. I just hope he’s OK.”
Brownlow: Playoff hockey makes its triumphant return to PNC Arena
By Lauren Brownlow One group of four older fans is just pulling their boxes of
Bojangles from the car and opening them as they all open
RALEIGH -- There were still two and a half hours before the beers. "To the playoffs!" one of them says, and they all
puck dropped on the Carolina Hurricanes' first home playoff clinked plastic bottles.
game since 2009 - nine years and 11 months, to be exact -
but cars had already started to populate the sprawling There are Capitals fans here too, but not as many as you
parking lots in PNC Arena. might expect to see for almost any other game. It's almost all
Canes fans, all the time, and by the time the arena opens to
Tables were getting taken out of cars and food was getting all fans, it sounds like it.
laid out just so. Some groups of fans even just stood by their
cars and chatted. The most famous Hurricanes tailgate is the one run by
Section 328, the fan group with a comprehensive website
It was quiet, though, and almost serene as the sky shone that covers the team (and sells merchandise of their own)
down, bright blue and cloudless. The sun shone down to and one that also describes where they sit.
warm up a perfect spring day: right around 70 degrees and
no humidity. At the back of lot 2000, just up against some trees in a
grassy area, is where they gather. They set up tables in the
The only thing that caused a chill was the occasional gust of middle of it, covered in tablecloths and the widest assortment
wind from a light swirl to something harder, some gusts of foods imaginable from Krispy Kreme donuts to pizza to
strong enough to make the Hurricanes' flags on top of PNC homemade brownies stuffed with Oreo and peanut butter.
Arena flap frantically.
"Here," a woman fan says, shoving a plateful of mostly
The only other noise was the gentle thunk of cornhole sand- cheese dip and four Ritz crackers into their newest arrival's
filled bags hitting the boards, which were often Hurricane- hands, "try this Trisha Yearwood's Charleston Cheese Dip."
themed.
Trisha, as it turns out, is about as good as concocting
Almost everyone as far as the eye can see is wearing cheese dip recipes as she is at singing country songs.
Hurricanes gear. The Whalers alternate jerseys, while
popular (and good-looking) are much rarer sightings tonight. It's not as crazy of a tailgate scene as the first game of the
Canes fans seem to know tonight's not the time for those. year is, or the last game, they say. Families mill about. MusicCAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
plays loudly but gently from a speaker. You can still hold a "Were you here in 2009?"
conversation. Alcohol is being served, but no one is so
intoxicated as to be dangerous or even obnoxious. "And 2006, and 2002," she says. "I came in 2000 and caught
a puck and I fell in love."
One Canes fan says he's excited to finally get the team back
in the Playoffs as he was getting a lot of grief from his family She's not unlike a lot of Southerners, whether they be
up north. transplants or new arrivals. You're as likely to see a fan in
hipster jeans rocking a Canes sweater as you were a guy
"It's just exciting," his wife adds. with sweater paired with khaki cargo shorts, mirrored Ray
Bans and Croakies.
They've brought their 13-year-old son with them. He went to
the last Playoff game in 2009, but he doesn't remember. The common denominator, of course, is the Canes.
He doesn't like loud noises, she says, and so she told him to Traffic - both game-related and 5:00-in-Raleigh-related -
bring earplugs. "I'm going to be loud and your dad's going to makes it so that fans are still getting into their seats right up
be loud," she says she told him. "Everyone is going to be until puck drop.
REALLY loud."
On the video board, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo literally
By 5:30, the traffic just outside of the Section 328 tailgate is gleams in 3D animation.
at a near-standstill as cars wait to park. That's around the
time an employee from The Pit brings by free barbecue, They had waiting for them crisp white "Take Warning" towels
much to the delight of the Section 328 crowd. that the crowd seemed to wave in unison for three hours
straight.
"We'd always talk like we'd be back there next year," one fan
said of the post-2009 drought. "Then you're five years in. When the lights go down and the Hurricane symbol-shaped
They seemed so far away." spotlight scans the crowd, the energy starts to palpably build.
Everyone is wearing some sort of Hurricanes attire, but it's a "Get ready, Raleigh," a voice booms. "Tonight, Playoff
mix of people from younger people wearing skinny jeans and hockey returns."
hipper attire versus middle-aged people in khakis and long- NC State head coach Kevin Keatts is there to sound the
sleeved Canes sweaters. There's even a woman there pregame siren, and in spite of how loud it usually is, it's
wearing her very own crocheted playoff beard. basically inaudible over the roar of the crowd.
Mike, one of the founders of Section 328, gets the mic That roar was measured throughout the game, and it was as
quickly and says "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the high as 112 decibels - which is louder than a steel mill.
playoffs!" He asks all fans in attendance who are at their first
Playoff game to pose for a picture, and it's more than a It felt like a special night merely by virtue of the Canes
handful. Ten years is a long time. scoring first. But when Andrei Svechnikov and Alexander
Ovechkin fought and the rookie lost badly enough to hit his
The Section 328 tailgaters usually head in closer to game head directly on the ice and be unconscious even before he
time, but they'll wrap up earlier on this day. They need to got there, some of the life seemed to be sucked out of the
make it into the arena on time. building.
And the arena is ready for them - it's ready for everyone. It was a scary injury - replay only confirmed that - but his
The attendance announced would be 18,783 - a sellout is at teammates seemed to use the chance to shift momentum
18,680, so that's with standing room tickets. their way and they refused to relinquish it.
Many mill about in the concourse as game time approaches The crowd didn't let up, either.
quicker and quicker. When the Hurricanes went up 4-0 9:47 into the third, the
Two Caps fans - certainly a minority in the building - find "Let's Go Canes!" chant was ear-splittingly loud.
each other in line for a Philly cheesesteak. Both live in North The Canes tacked on one more goal for good measure.
Carolina now. One woman expresses a little bit of fear for There are less than 5 minutes to go in a game - a Playoff
being in a hostile environment. "At least it's not Philly," the game, but still - and almost everyone is still in their seats
man responds. screaming, waving their white towels, but in whatever the
Two other Hurricanes fans wait alongside them for their food. opposite of surrender is.
When one comes out, no one is sure whose it is or whose "GET PLAYOFF LOUD" flashes in big, bold letters on the
turn it is, but the woman shrugs and says, "I'm just happy to video board.
be here."
The Canes fans in attendance finally know what that means,
She's wearing dangly and seemingly custom-made Carolina if they didn't already, and were reminded in case they'd
Hurricanes earrings, and she can't stop smiling. forgotten.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
Gold: Hurricanes must be great (not good) to stay alive in series against Caps
By Adam Gold It really isn't any more complicated than that. Don't give
Washington easy ones and get Aho and company cranked
Raleigh, N.C. — It's been a long time. A. Really. Long. Time. up.
For the first time since May 26, 2009, PNC Arena will play *Tonight's lineup, assuming the morning skate tells us
host to a postseason hockey game. Then, it was Game 4 of something:
the Eastern Conference Finals, which ended with a 4-game
sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight, it's Niederreiter-Aho-Teravainen
Game 3 of an opening round set against the defending
Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals with the Canes Svechnikov-Staal-Williams
seeking their first win in the series. Ferland-Wallmark-Martinook
We can sit around and talk about statistics all day long until Foegele-McKegg-McGinn
we're twisted in knots. The bottom line is that the difference
in this series is twofold. Washington's top players have been Slavin-Hamilton
significantly better than Carolina's. And the Hurricanes have Pesce-Faulk
suffered catastrophic breakdowns that have offered up some
very easy goals for a team that doesn't need the gifts. Fleury-van Riemsdyk
For Carolina to win, they need to clean up the coverage Mrazek
mistakes in front of Petr Mrazek and stay out of the penalty
McElhinney
box. The Canes have spent far too much time shorthanded
against Washington. And never mind that some of the calls *Alex Ovechkin has 19 shot attempts through two games.
have been curious at best - the Canes have to keep this a 5- Sebastian Aho has 8.
on-5 series. Of course, head coach Rod Brind'Amour didn't
like Carolina's even-strength game on Saturday, but that *Each team has had 8 power play chances. Washington is 2
gets back to the other correction that needs to happen. for 8, Carolina is 1 for 8. Yes, one of those chances for the
Caps was a 5-minute major for the Michael Ferland match
Sebastian Aho scored a goal, the one that tied the game at 2 penalty. The Hurricanes killed that off. But, the Canes had a
last in the second period, on Saturday. Cool. Fifteen-game 5-on-3 (for roughly one minute) on the back end of that, and
scoring drought over. Now, it's time for him to be an All Star. didn't do anything with it, in fact, they didn't really threaten
Aho and Tuevo Teravainen - who will be reunited tonight - with a 2-man advantage.
and Justin Williams and Nino Niederreiter have had a very
quiet start to this postseason. Call me crazy, but if Carolina's *Justin Faulk leads the Hurricanes in TOI (time on ice),
best players aren't noticeable on the ice, then this series is averaging 27:04 through two games. Jaccob Slavin is next at
going to end Thursday night. 26:57. Aho leads among forwards at 23:44.
*Opening face off is set for 7:19 pm ET. Coverage begins at
6:30 p.m. on 99.9 the Fan with Alec Campbell and Storm
Watch.
Game 3 Recap: Hurricanes Shut Out Capitals
Mrazek makes 18 saves, Hamilton and Foegele each score Brock McGinn also tallied for the Hurricanes in their first
twice victory of this best-of-seven first round series.
by Michael Smith Here are five takeaways from Game 3.
Warren Foegele and Dougie Hamilton each scored two goals 1. Playoff Hockey Returns to Raleigh
and Petr Mrazek made 18 saves to lead the Carolina
Hurricanes to a 5-0 shutout win over the Washington There's been a palpable buzz in the Triangle for a few weeks
Capitals in Game 3. now, and it was all building to a Monday night at PNC Arena,
nearly 10 years removed from the last time the Stanley Cup
Playoffs came to Raleigh.CAROLINA HURRICANES
NEWS CLIPPINGS • April 16, 2019
Canes fans had been waiting a long time for this, and the His first of the game, a wrister from in between the tops of
raw emotion from the standing room only crowd of 18,783 the two circles through a Foegele screen in front, extended
gave the building an unmatched thunderous vibe. No doubt, the Canes' lead to three in the second period.
the Hurricanes fed off that fervor.
Hamilton then made it a 4-0 game in the third with another
"It was great. Loved it," Justin Williams said. "It was power-play goal, this one a booming shot from the right point
absolutely electric." that beat Holtby clean.
The noise in the building pushed 113 dBs at its loudest. "These guys shoot it," Brind'Amour said. "Sometimes they go
Standing ovations. Towels waving. The playoffs are finally in, but they never go in if you don't shoot."
back in Raleigh.
Hamilton joins Dave Babych and Sean Hill as the only
"The crowd was unbelievable," Dougie Hamilton said. "It was defensemen in franchise history to score two goals in a
one of the loudest buildings I've ever played in. Just so fun." playoff game.
In what was a symbiotic relationship, the fans were treated to "We were on them and kept pushing, kept pushing and kept
perhaps the best game the Hurricanes have played all pushing," Williams said. "Our D were up and in their face.
season. Down 2-0 in this best-of-seven series coming into We played probably our best game of the year."
Tuesday, they needed that win, and the crowd helped will
them. 4. Mrazek Pitches a Shutout
"I thought we were engaged from the start," Warren Foegele Petr Mrazek has five career playoff wins to his name, and
said. "We were physical, and we all battled together." four of them have been shutouts.
"We were relentless. We just kept going at them," Hamilton Mrazek didn't see much work in this one, facing just 18
said. "It's not easy to play against a team like us when we're shots. That ledger included a single shot against in the
playing like that." second period, a little backhander from Alex Ovechkin
square into Mrazek's tummy with 4:45 left in the middle
2. Foe-goals frame.
The Hurricanes' offense in this series has been largely fueled Mrazek's light workload is a testament to the team in front of
by rookies, from Andrei Svechnikov's two-goal performance him. The Canes possessed the puck and dominated play
in Game 1 to Lucas Wallmark being tied for the team lead in nearly all night. In the second period, it seemed all the
points (1g, 2a) after the first two games. Capitals could do was ice the puck while the Canes
continually rolled around in their zone and generated chance
It was Foegele's turn in Game 3. Foegele netted the Canes' after chance.
first two goals of the game and had critical net-front presence
on Hamilton's power-play tally that extended the lead in the "I don't know how much work he had, but you still have to
second period. make saves at the right time to keep momentum going, and
that's what he did," Brind'Amour said.
"I think I play aggressive and hard. I love these moments,"
Foegele said. "This is when it counts. This is when it 5. Svechnikov, Ferland Injured
matters."
It's not all good news for the Canes after this win. Of grave
The Canes had not led in this series until they took concern is the health of Andrei Svechnikov, who suffered an
advantage of a turnover about midway through the first upper-body injury in a first-period fight with countryman Alex
period, working the puck up to the point to Justin Faulk, Ovechkin.
whose shot was tipped in past Braden Holtby by Foegele.
The two traded a couple jabs before dropping the gloves, a
In a dominant second period for the Canes, Teuvo fight card that did not favor the Canes' rookie. Ovechkin, who
Teravainen whipped the puck off the near wall over to a has an inch plus 40 pounds on Svechnikov, landed a couple
wide-open Sebastian Aho. The Canes' leading scorer from of crushing blows, none more so than a right that caught
the regular season was patient with the puck and slipped it Svechnikov square on the chin.
over to Foegele in front of the net, and he finished for his
second of the game to double the Canes' lead. It wasn't a pretty sight as Ovechkin fell on Svechnikov, his
head colliding violently with the ice. The 19-year-old, who
"He's a great player. He works so hard," Hamilton said of scored two goals for the Canes in Game 1, had to be helped
Foegele. "He's tenacious and never gives up." off the ice.
"He's been a real effective player for us," head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who checked on him after the first period, said
Brind'Amour said. "He's always had that ability. He can really Svechnikov "wasn't looking too good" and was gone from the
skate, and he plays pretty intense. It was good to see." building by the time the game had ended. The mood in the
locker room, even after a playoff victory in front of a rowdy
3. Hamilton Nets a Pair on the Power Play home crowd, was understandably somber.
What's the key to a successful power play? "It's one of the hardest things I've had to go through on the
It's layered, for sure, but a simple answer is shooting the ice. I don't really know what to say. I just kept thinking about
puck. So, that's what Hamilton did. him the whole game. I just hated seeing that. I hated the
whole part of it. Just something you never want to see," saidYou can also read
