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The Carolina Hurricanes have won an overtime thriller, 4-3, to even the Stanley Cup Final at 1-1. After trailing 2-0 in the third period, the Hurricanes stormed back to stun the Vegas Golden Knights in what amounted to a must-win game.
Seth Jarvis snapped out of his funk and scored the game-winner for Carolina with a power play goal in overtime. Sitting right above the left face-off circle, Jarvis took a feed from Shayne Gostisbehere and ripped a one-timer past Carter Hart to ignite bedlam inside the Lenovo Center.
It was a little miraculous that Jarvis even got that opportunity at all, based on how the first 50 minutes of the game went. Halfway through the third period, Carolina faced a two-goal deficit and had done nothing of note on offense. Finally, Logan Stankoven provided a spark with a spectacular individual effort that resulted in a wrap-around goal on Hart.
That kicked off a barrage of three goals in 5:05 from the Canes with Mark Jankowski and Jordan Staal getting in on the fun. Carolina went from lifeless to leading in the blink of an eye.
Mark Stone managed to tie the game with 1:21 left, but Carolina regained its composure before overtime and controlled every second of the extra frame right up until Jarvis fired home the game-winner. Brett Howden had another tremendous outing with two goals to tie the franchise record for most goals in a single postseason with 13.
Vegas also spent most of the game playing with five defensemen as Brayden McNabb had to be hospitalized after taking a Nikolaj Ehlers shot to the face in the first period. McNabb's status for the rest of the series is very much in doubt.
Although this was a missed opportunity for the Golden Knights, they still get a split on the road, and they have possession of home-ice advantage as the series shifts to Sin City. Carolina will need to win a game in Vegas if it's going to win the Cup.
Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas, and with the series now even, it will be pivotal.
Jarvis, PP find find life in the nick of time
Through the first six periods of the Stanley Cup Final, Seth Jarvis was approaching milk carton status. He hadn't registered a point, and his offensive impact was minimal after leading the team with 32 goals in the regular season. The same could be said for the Hurricanes' power play, which entered the game operating at a 12.1 percent clip.
In Game 2, the power play snapped to life first late in the third period. After the Golden Knights unsuccessfully challenged the ruling of goaltender interference on a "no goal" call, Carolina's man advantage finally came through. The Hurricanes kept things simple: Shayne Gostisbehere floated a shot through traffic with Jordan Staal planted in front of the net and hunting for a tip.
In overtime, Jarvis got the monkey off his back on the power play. Again, there wasn't anything complicated. It was a simple one-timer with a pass from the point to the left circle. Jarvis, with his terrific shot, blew the puck by Hart to end the game.
In the case of both Jarvis and the power play, all it took was a little simplification to get back on track. Frankly, that's how the Hurricanes got back in the game in the first place. Logan Stankoven forechecked relentlessly and got rewarded, and that's what turned Game 2 on its head. Perhaps that's a lesson Carolina can bring along to Vegas.
Vegas misses golden opportunity
The Golden Knights did a lot of things very well for 50 minutes. Defensively, they kept the Hurricanes to the perimeter. Offensively, they picked their spots wisely and took advantage of the scoring chances they created.
In the final 14 minutes, Vegas suddenly made a series of mistakes it may wind up regretting if it loses this series. For starters, Rasmus Andersson got caught behind the net on Stankoven's goal as he doubled back to go behind the net after initially getting a clear lane to start a breakout up the boards.
The goaltender interference challenge that led to Staal's goal was also questionable. The puck was clearly lying under Frederik Andersen before the stick of a Golden Knights player slid underneath him and poked the puck loose. Even if you believe the puck was free, it was too close to risk taking a penalty at that stage of the game.
In overtime, the Golden Knights were on their heels before Tomas Hertl hauled down Staal for a tripping penalty.
It was a series of mistakes that you don't often see from a veteran team that has shown immense poise throughout the postseason. The Golden Knights are still well-positioned to win this series, but every game is precious in the Stanley Cup Final, and letting this one slip away may come back to bite them.
Redemption for Shayne Gostisbehere
One of the defining images from Game 1 was of Gostisbehere lying on his stomach as Hertl celebrated the game-winning goal. Gostisbehere got overly aggressive pursuing the play to the boards, and Hertl beat him to the slot on the goal.
In Game 2, Gostisbehere redeemed himself and then some. He registered two assists on the night, and while they weren't flashy plays, they were executed very well. On Staal's goal in the third period, Gostisbehere's shot couldn't have been more perfect. It was a knee-high floater that managed to sail past the bodies and sticks in front of it, giving the Hurricanes captain a chance to put a stick on it.
Now, go back and watch Jarvis' game-winning goal. You'll notice that Gostisbehere never looks at Jarvis before feeding him the puck. Instead, Gostisbehere keeps his eyes on Hart and initially fakes a wrist shot. That forced Hart to freeze for a split second, and it caused him to be a split second late in arriving to stop Jarvis' blast.
Gostisbehere might have cost his team the win in Game 1, but the Hurricanes definitely don't win without him in Game 2.
