Game 3 Recap: Hurricanes Sweep Rangers

TORONTO - The Carolina Hurricanes punched their ticket to the First Round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 3 of the Cup Qualifiers.

Teuvo Teravainen, Warren Foegele and Sebastian Aho found the back of the net, and James Reimer made 37 saves, as the Canes completed the three-game series sweep of their Metropolitan Division foe.

1. Clean Sweep

The Hurricanes were swept by the Rangers in their four-game regular-season series, but at this point, that feels like a lifetime ago.

The slate was wiped clean heading into this best-of-five qualifying round series, and the Canes, who had won three games in a row just prior to the pause, seemed to pick up right where they left off in early March - complete team efforts from the crease out.

"We need everyone to contribute. We're not going to go far if we don't have everyone on board," Foegele said. "Through the series, there was always someone stepping up big."

Both Petr Mrazek and Reimer were big for the Canes in the series, as they held the Rangers, who have some high-end talent up front, to four goals in three games. Aho was huge for the Canes in the series, as he finished with eight points (3g, 5a) in three games. Special teams weren't outmatched, and at even strength, the Canes dominated for much of the series.

Three games, three wins, and the Canes will take the more important of the series sweeps this season.

"It's a special group we have in there," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We need everyone, and they understand that."

2. Reim Time

Before the series, Brind'Amour was asked which goaltender he would name his Game 1 starter. He didn't tip his hand, but he did say this: "I envision that both guys will probably get action here. The amount of games and the short time frame there is between games, I think we'll probably get both guys in there. I'm glad both guys look really good and feel good about their game. We're good either way."

Petr Mrazek made 47 saves on 50 shots in the first two games of the series, but in a back-to-back situation with what will end up being the Canes' last game for a week, Brind'Amour turned to James Reimer for Game 3.

"We knew going in this was the plan. Both guys were dialed in right from the start of training camp," Brind'Amour said after the game. "We knew we were going to get both guys in. … That was an incredible performance, really all three games, by our goalies."

Reimer was named the first star of the game after he made 37 saves on 38 shots, and for much of the night - especially in the first 40 minutes - he was the best player on the ice for the Canes.

He made 16 saves in the first 20 minutes alone, including two glove stops on Hart Trophy finalist Artemi Panarin.

"Human nature, you're up 2-0, the Rangers weren't going to go away, and I don't think we came out the way we needed to even though we prepared. That's kind of what happens, and that's why you need a goalie," Brind'Amour said. "Reims was phenomenal."

Remember the need for everyone to contribute? That's exactly what happened late in the second period, a goaltending-by-committee display that warded off chance after chance for the Rangers.

"It was crazy," Reimer chuckled.

With about two minutes left in the frame, Brendan Lemieux walked in with time and space, and Reimer made the initial stop. The puck, though, was still loose, a trio of Canes and a couple of Rangers digging around the crease to try to snag possession.

"At first, I thought it went in. I kind of took a peek behind me, and it wasn't there," Reimer said. "Guys were flying all over the place. It's kind of a helpless feeling because you don't want to move and kick the puck in. You're trying to find it."

The puck ended up squirting out back to Lemieux, whose second scoring bid was then turned away by a diving shoulder save from Sami Vatanen. The sequence wasn't over, as the Rangers worked the puck over to Filip Chytil, who had an open cage to shoot at but was denied by the stick of Reimer.

"At that point, you just throw your stick out there, dive back and hope it hits you," Reimer said. "Lucky enough for me, it did."

Just for good measure, Reimer made another body save on Jacob Trouba before Vatanen banged the puck out of the zone and down the ice for a breather.

"It was a fun game. We probably didn't play the way we wanted to at the start. They came hard, as expected, with their backs against the wall," Reimer said. "The boys battled, and we really came alive in the third."

3. Answering in the Second

The Rangers opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the second period when Chris Kreider burst into the zone with speed, split the defense and beat Reimer, but it took the Canes only 3:06 to respond, the culmination of over a minute of sustained zone time.

The Canes maintained possession all while rolling a line change, one by one, from the fourth line to the first line. The Rangers were gassed, and Marc Staal was without his stick. Andrei Svechnikov worked from behind the goal line, the puck sliding into the slot. Aho lifted a defending stick, and Teravainen picked up the loose puck and roofed a backhand shot past Igor Shesterkin, the first Rangers goaltender not named Henrik Lundqvist to start a postseason game since 2006.

4. Taking Over in the Third

Win the period, win the series.

The Rangers were the better team out of the gate. Facing a must-win contest, they came out with verve, and the Canes were rather sleepy. But, even after the Rangers had their best period of the series and the Canes had their worst, the score was still 0-0.

Some of that bled into the second period as well, which again ended tied at one. Backstopped by Reimer, the Canes held on until they could find their game.

"Eventually we got into the fight. Eventually we got to our game. If it wasn't for Reims, obviously, the game would have been over," Brind'Amour said. "We always seem to find a way to get going, and obviously we did."

Warren Foegele scored what was the series-clinching goal, a redirection of a Brady Skjei point shot that put the Canes ahead for good 5:07 into the third period.

"In the first and second, we weren't really going to the net," Foegele said. "Rod was preaching we've got to be more simple and just go to the net. A great shot by Brady, and you're just hoping it goes in."

About five minutes later, Aho pulled off a highlight-reel goal to double the Canes' lead. It started with Aho stripping Jacob Trouba of the puck along the far wall. Aho then dangled around Tony DeAngelo and roofed a backhander, a tremendous finish of an unreal individual effort.

"Great players rise to the occasion," Brind'Amour said.

Aho scored a shorthanded goal into an empty net late in regulation to seal the Canes' victory. The Finnish centerman now has 20 points (8g, 12a) through 18 career postseason games.

"Elite," Foegele said, punctuating the end of his interview.

5. Winning a Series in the Bubble

The Canes were the first team to advance from the Cup Qualifiers, and winning a postseason series in the bubble, in an empty, cavernous arena was, like everything else this year, a little different.

There were no fans to share the celebratory moment with. The handshake line was replaced by fist bumps.

It's a little different, no question about it. But it's still sweet, sweet victory, and the third postseason series sweep in franchise history is certainly worth celebrating.

"It sucks not having fans, let's be honest. Fans really bring that excitement and that energy and momentum. The crowd, the way they're pumped up before games, those are some of the best moments," Reimer said. "Coming back here, being in the playoffs and having success in this building, it's fun."

"It is surreal. You win, and there's a little bit of a lack of emotion because the crowd's not there. That's what you're used to when you win like that. It's a different time, obviously," Brind'Amour said. "We owe it to a lot of people here who are going above and beyond just to make this happen. It's obviously a crazy time, but we're just really grateful to be able to do this and try to bring some happiness and joy to our fans. They deserve some smiles."

Up Next

The First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is set to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The Canes will have to wait and see who they will match up against, which is pending the results of Pittsburgh's qualifying round series, in addition to the round robin.

"This is going to be tricky, to be quite honest," Brind'Amour said. "We could have a week off, and that's probably the worst thing to have when there's really not anything to do. We're going to have to get creative and find things to keep the guys together … and mentally sharp."

Until then, the team can enjoy the series victory for at least a night or two.