With the Eastern Conference Final series tied at one game a piece, the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to maintain several key aspects of their game while tinkering with a few key areas. For the Hurricanes, maintaining an unblemished road record will depend on a few critical tactical and personnel factors highlighted ahead of puck drop.
Penalty Kill
Carolina’s penalty kill is performing at a near-historic level this postseason, killing 23 of 24 opposing power plays (95.5%). As noted by The North State Journal, since 2000, only the 2004 Detroit Red Wings (96%) have put up a better PK percentage over a minimum of 10 playoff games.
Defenseman K’Andre Miller credited the success to “iron sharpening iron,” stating that going up against their own high-end power play units in practice every day keeps them sharp.
Line Matchup War
With the Canadiens holding home-ice advantage, head coach Martin St. Louis gets the luxury of the last change. Montreal will actively try to pull the Nick Suzuki–Cole Caufield–Juraj Slafkovsky top line away from Jordan Staal‘s suffocating checking line. However, while Staal’s line held Montreal’s top trio to just three 5-on-5 shots on goal in Game 2, even if Montreal avoids Staal on home ice, Rod Brind’Amour can still counter by hard-matching his elite shutdown defensive pairing of Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield against Suzuki’s wingers.
Battling the Bell Centre Noise
While Montreal has gained a reputation as road warriors in the playoffs, the Hurricanes are an absolute juggernaut away from home this postseason, carrying a 4-0 road record into Game 3. Carolina’s only two postseason games with more than three goals scored both happened on the road (in Ottawa and Philadelphia).
Unsung Heroes
Right winger Jackson Blake is completely altering his identity for the postseason. While he has been known primarily for offense, Blake matched his regular-season career-high in blocked shots just 11 minutes into Game 2, finishing the night with 5 blocks.
Despite the adjustments in their tactics, the Hurricanes are keeping an eye on Montreal’s bottom six. Following a costly failed overtime dump-in that led to Nikolaj Ehlers‘ Game 2 winner, morning skate reports indicate Montreal is scratching Oliver Kapanen in favor of the heavier Joe Veleno to counter Carolina’s relentless speed and physical forecheck.