Round 2 Recap: Canes Sweep Flyers

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes brought out the brooms, again.

After sweeping the Ottawa Senators in their first-round series, the group became the first team in NHL history to do it again (in two best-of-seven series), ousting the Philadelphia Flyers in the minimum amount of games as well.

The Flyers had been riding the high of a stellar second half of the regular season and a first-round upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but turned out to be no match for the Canes in another series highlighted by Logan Stankoven's line and great goaltending from Frederik Andersen.

“How we’ve gone about it is the impressive part," Rod Brind'Amour reviewed, following the series finale in Philly. "Obviously, we’re getting some huge performances, but everybody is doing it. It’s how we have to get it done. Go down the list, every guy had his hands in these two series wins.”

• Game 1: Logan Stankoven (2G), Jackson Blake (1G, 1A) and Mike Reilly (2A) led the way offensively while Frederik Andersen recorded a 19-save shutout in a 3-0 win.
• Game 2: Taylor Hall's OT winner completed the comeback as the Canes erased an early two-goal deficit for their sixth straight win this postseason.
• Game 3: A trio of special teams goals paved the way to a 4-1 victory for Carolina in Philly.
• Game 4: Jackson Blake scored twice, including the overtime winner, to close out a second consecutive sweep.

Nothing short of impressive, here's a deeper dive into the series that was.

Hall, Stank, and Blake...

Much like the first round, the trio of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake drove the ship.

Combining for seven goals and nine assists for a total of 16 points in four games against the Senators, that line enjoyed nearly identical production versus the Flyers, contributing seven goals and eight assists for a total of 15 points.

Responsible for the overtime winners in both Games 2 and 4, their teammates and head coach are running out of words to describe how special their performances have been.

“That line’s just been incredible, obviously," Brind'Amour praised. "Hallsy, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit for how he’s played. Blaker and Stanks, they’ve just really meshed... It was obvious. They were the best guys out there for us, and we needed them.” 

As of May 11, Stankoven co-leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with seven goals. Hall sits fifth with his 12 points, and Blake (11) trails just behind, tied for sixth. Not bad for a trio that has played the minimum amount of games.

“It’s unreal. It’s everything I could ask for," Hall appreciated. "To play on a line with Blakey and Stank and to be a line for 50-60 games, it’s a lot of fun to come to work right now. We’re winning, and it feels like everyone is contributing. We work hard, and we do it with a smile on our face. That’s a fun work environment. It’s not like this everywhere. There are some places where it’s like this, but this is pretty cool.”

Fred, Again...

While the Stankoven line has been scoring enough to carry the Canes through offensive track meets, the team hasn't needed that because Frederik Andersen has been a brick wall behind it all.

Becoming the fourth netminder in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to allow two goals or fewer in each of his first eight starts of a postseason, a feat last achieved 57 years ago, he has taken the reins between the pipes and not looked back.

"I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a goalie play so good, handle the puck so well, and do what he’s doing back there," Blake said of his backstop. "We have so much trust in him and what he’s going to bring every night. 

Recording his eighth straight win and surpassing Cam Ward (2006) for the longest playoff winning streak in franchise history, it's taken a near-flawless effort to get one behind "Zilla."

"He’s so calm. You’re almost just expecting it every night now, and that’s kind of unfair to him," Hall said with a smile. "He forces them to almost make the perfect shot or the perfect play to score. He’s a huge reason why our PK is where it is. Some people might not notice how he handles the puck. He’s so calm back there. He makes the right play every time, and that makes it a lot easier on our D.”

Never too high with the highs, nor too low with the lows, Andersen has kept the same approach throughout - one save at a time.

“For me, it’s just staying with it. That’s the key for me. Expect whatever they’ve got," the veteran backstop reasoned. "I don’t really look at the chances and the quality so much, I just try to be in the moment, and whatever happens, if I save the one before, or I don’t save it, I just try to save the next one. That’s really my focus."

History In The Making...

Arriving at the Eastern Conference Final (ECF) with the longest playoff winning streak in franchise history, an 8-0 start to the postseason has the whole league on notice.

The first team in NHL history to sweep each of their first two best-of-seven series en route to a Conference Finals appearance since it was introduced in 1982, the Canes will have at least another week off before entering final-four play.

Undoubtedly, rest versus rust is always a discussion, but the team can lean on the fact that they had seven days between their Round 1 and Round 2 series, and that turned out just fine.

“It’s a good thing because we’re going to be one of four teams left. However long we have to rest or be off, we’ll do it. I think the good part is that we literally just had the same exact thing and we had a plan, and clearly, it was okay. So we can follow that and run with it," Brind'Amour told reporters in Philadelphia.

Reaching the ECF for the third time in four seasons, and the fourth time in eight years under Brind'Amour, the head coach also said he wants his players to stay in the moment and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

“It’s a huge accomplishment. Right now, you need to soak that part of it in, because it is (a huge accomplishment)," the head coach passionately remarked. "The season is so long. There’s the 82-game regular season that we talk about that no one really gives credit to, yet this team’s played well for eight months. They didn’t just get hot at the end. Night in and night out. That’s the biggest takeaway for me. Probably the thing that I’m most proud of with this group is that. Now, here we are. We have to find a way to get to the next step. That’s obviously easier said than done. I know one thing is that they’re going to give that same effort, and that’s what we have to have.”