RALEIGH, NC – Finding line combinations that work well together can either make a coach look like a Rhodes Scholar – the key being working well together. Making changes can also get a coach fired if they don’t work out. Sunday night Carolina Hurricanes’ coach Paul Maurice may have qualified for the Nobel Prize in chemistry while keeping his team alive for at least one more game.
Maurice’s move putting Eric Staal with Ray Whitney and Chad LaRose proved to be a stroke of genius as the trio combined for three goals in support of goalie Cam Ward who out-dueled New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur as the Hurricanes defeated the Devils 4-0 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The two teams will now travel back to New Jersey for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Tuesday night.
From the moment they stepped on the ice, the Hurricanes had the fire of desperation in their eyes and a roaring home crowd at the RBC Center behind them. Carolina immediately tilted the ice toward New Jersey goalie Brodeur, daring him to keep them off the scoreboard as he had in Game 5. An early power play only added to the ‘Canes territorial advantage but Brodeur kept the scoreboard clean.
Finally, at the 10:32 mark, the Hurricanes found a way to beat the Devils’ netminder. LaRose got the puck to Staal behind the New Jersey net. He swung around the corner looking for a wrap-around. The puck popped up into the front of the net where Whitney, looking more like a batter for the Durham Bulls, knocked the disc out of midair with the shaft of his stick and into the net.
Even with a pair of power plays, the Devils had a difficult time getting pucks past the Carolina defense and on Hurricanes’ goalie Cam Ward. By the time the first period ended, Carolina had out shot New Jersey 15-4 and led the game by one.
The energy the Hurricanes had in the first followed them into the second. Brodeur had to be on his toes as Carolina continued to storm the Devils defensive end. Once again, the ‘Canes had an early man advantage but didn’t score but much like the first stanza, it was a precursor to a goal or in this case two. This time, LaRose out battled New Jersey defenseman Paul Martin, causing a turnover. Whitney got the puck to Staal who beat Brodeur at 4:46 to make it 2-0. Less than three minutes later, Whitney and Staal broke in two-on-one with Whitney returning the favor from the first period by feeding Staal for an easy score, increasing the ’Canes lead to 3-0 at 7:30.
New Jersey, remembering back to Game 4 when Carolina had a three goal lead only to see the Devils stage a comeback, finally started to break the stranglehold the Hurricanes had on the game’s momentum. Ward, as he has for most of the series, was ready for every New Jersey foray, including a couple of odd-man rushes. The Devils did manage to get eleven shots on Ward in the period but the young netminder stopped every one of them to keep the ‘Canes up by three going to the final stanza.
In Game 4, New Jersey was able to take over the game despite Carolina having the lead. This time, however, the Hurricanes were the ones locking down the Devils’ offense, striking a perfect balance between fore-checking and defense. Halfway through the period, New Jersey found itself having to kill a five-on-three disadvantage. This time, Carolina was able to take advantage as Whitney drove toward the slot before feeding Jussi Jokinen who blasted the puck past Brodeur at 10:28 to essentially put the game away.
With the game out of reach, the game briefly took on a nastier tenor. Following a Ward save on Brendan Shanahan, New Jersey’s Michael Rupp started a ruckus by hitting Ward with his stick while digging for a rebound. That set off a near line brawl as everyone paired up with the main event being a bout between the Devils’ David Clarkson and Carolina’s Tim Gleason. Once order was restored, Ward was able to finish off the shutout and send both teams back to New Jersey for each squad’s first Game 7 since their last Stanley Cup championship seasons (2003 for the Devils and 2006 for the Hurricanes).
Game notes…For the first time since Game 2, New Jersey had captain Jamie Langenbrunner in the lineup following a lower body injury. Injured Carolina forward Sergei Samsonov (lower body) was also back on the ice…Prior to the game, the Hurricanes played the sequence from the movie “Miracle” where 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell) rallies his team moments before the U.S. squad defeated the Russians in Lake Placid…Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver Steve Smith was on the hurricane siren before the opening face off…Prior to Jokinen’s goal, the Hurricanes had been 0-for-11 on the power play at home in the series…The 28-save shutout was the third of Cam Ward’s playoff career…Staal’s two goals in 2:46 during the second period were the fastest scored by one player in the postseason history of the Hartford/Carolina franchise…Brodeur was once again very good despite taking the loss, stopping 33 of 37 shots he faced…Game 7 is set for Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark starting at 7:30 P.M.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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