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Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hurricanes' Chatfield, Walker and Jarvis have no surgery plans for injuries after playoff run
Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker (26) controls the puck in front of Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael (24) during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael (24) tries to chip the puck past Carolina Hurricanes' Jalen Chatfield (5) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Semi-final round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, May 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) reacts following the Hurricanes loss to the Florida Panthers following Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) reacts following the Hurricanes loss to the Florida Panthers following Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker (26) controls the puck in front of Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael (24) during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael (24) tries to chip the puck past Carolina Hurricanes' Jalen Chatfield (5) during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Semi-final round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, May 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) reacts following the Hurricanes loss to the Florida Panthers following Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes players Jalen Chatfield, Sean Walker and Seth Jarvis said Friday they don't plan to have surgery for injuries after the team's playoff run to the Eastern Conference final. Chatfield missed Carolina's last six games with what the defenseman described as a hip injury, while fellow blue-liner Walker was dealing with an aggravation of a shoulder injury. As for Jarvis, the team's leader in regular-season goals and postseason points, the forward said he plans to work on strengthening and rehabbing a lingering right-shoulder issue for the second straight offseason. Advertisement Carolina is the only NHL team with an active streak of winning at least one postseason series for seven straight years, with this year's five-game loss to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers marking a third trip to the Eastern final in that span. Chatfield had missed the closeout game of the second-round series against Washington and then the entire Florida series. The team had never specified the nature of Chatfield's injury, which became a common question for coach Rod Brind'Amour, and he said he should be fine with extra rehab time. 'Just something in the hip,' Chatfield said during Friday's end-of-year player interviews. "It's hard when you get that, trying to skate through that. I just couldn't even get to that speed where I would even be capable of even helping the team on the ice. 'I was able to get back on the ice before the last game and hopefully it was going to be another game or two before I could return. I was super close, for sure.' Advertisement Chatfield typically held a second-pairing spot with Dmitry Orlov before his absence, and he scored Carolina's first postseason goal just 2:24 into the opener against New Jersey. Brind'Amour at one point called Chatfield 'day to day' in the most optimistic update during his absence. 'Making it as far as we did and being able to play against Florida, it was tough watching," Chatfield said. The impact of Chatfield's absence compounded when Walker missed the last three games of the Florida series, his last appearance coming in Game 2 after taking a jarring open-ice hit from A.J. Greer and eventually exiting early. At that point, Carolina was down two of its top six defensemen and playing rookies Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow with its season on the brink. Walker said he had suffered a minor shoulder injury late in the regular season that was improving through the postseason before the Greer hit 'set me back pretty significantly.' He said he was hoping to return if Carolina advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, but didn't need surgery. Advertisement Then there's Jarvis, who led Carolina with 10 assists and 16 points in 15 playoff games after tallying a team-best 32 goals in 73 regular-season games. Surgery had been a possibility last year, though he has focused on rehab and strengthening his shoulder. 'We loved where it was at the start of the season, in terms of the health of it and the strength and everything,' Jarvis said. 'Early on it kind of started to slip a little bit, and then kind of re-tore all the work we did on it and all the strength and everything we did. So just dealing with it again wasn't too bad, kind of the same thing as last year.' Jarvis described the injury as creating more of an issue of pain tolerance than inhibiting on-ice activity — 'I mean, the only difference would be I'd probably be able to throw a real nice spiral,' Jarvis said of surgery — while the protective brace he returned to during the season might prevent him from reaching up to catch a puck. He played all 15 of Carolina's postseason games, scoring the tying goal in the third period of Game 5 against Florida in what turned out to be the Hurricanes' last of the season. Advertisement 'This summer, we were dancing around the idea of what to do with it,' Jarvis said. 'The season's gone pretty late, I don't want to miss a lot of time. So I'm going to go with the same protocol as last summer of strengthen it, rehab it. Hopefully maybe wear the brace from the very beginning of the year, and then go from there.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
For the 2nd straight year, Hurricanes left to lament falling in huge series hole in NHL playoff exit
Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis, center, celebrates his goal with right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) and defenseman Dmitry Orlov, right, after he scored against the Florida Panthers during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour yells at an official during the first period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) scores against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and center Sebastian Aho (20) while Floridan Panthers' Jonah Gadjovich (12) looks on during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) reacts following the Hurricanes loss to the Florida Panthers following Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) reacts following the Hurricanes loss to the Florida Panthers following Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis, center, celebrates his goal with right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) and defenseman Dmitry Orlov, right, after he scored against the Florida Panthers during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour yells at an official during the first period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) scores against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) and center Sebastian Aho (20) while Floridan Panthers' Jonah Gadjovich (12) looks on during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) reacts following the Hurricanes loss to the Florida Panthers following Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — For the second straight year, the Carolina Hurricanes failed to win a game in their last postseason series until on the edge of elimination. This time, it ended their season in another Eastern Conference final — the stage proving to be a roadblock in their multiyear Stanley Cup push. Advertisement The Hurricanes fell 5-3 to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night in Game 5, sending the Panthers back to the sport's final stage for the third straight year while ending Carolina's latest lengthy playoff grind short of the ultimate goal. And it ended in a similar fashion to the previous year: with Carolina losing the first three games of a series, spending multiple games trying to dig out of that massive hole and then losing a two-goal lead at home in the game that ultimately ended their season. 'I think essentially we lost in the first few games,' Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. 'You can't start a series like that and expect a better outcome.' A year ago, it was an 0-3 series deficit to the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the second round. The Hurricanes regrouped to win two elimination games and carried a 3-1 lead into the third period of a Game 6 at home, only to see the Rangers surge back behind Chris Kreider's hat trick in the final 20 minutes in a 5-3 victory. Advertisement This time, it was an 0-3 series deficit to the the reigning Stanley Cup champion, a tested and deep team unafraid to play and surpass Carolina's aggressive-forechecking approach. And it ended with a matching final score. 'We knew it was going to be a big task to try to beat them,' said Carolina's Sebastian Aho, who had two first-period goals Wednesday that put the Hurricanes ahead. 'We truly believe we have what it takes, but obviously we fell short yet again." By the final horn, Carolina's lamentations went back to losing the first two games at home, the second being a 5-0 blowout in which the Panthers were shockingly dominant and the Hurricanes' normally rowdy fans were left to frustratedly chant 'Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck!' 'Those first two games you'd probably want back, but it's too little, too late,' said Seth Jarvis, who had a tying goal midway through the third period before Florida made its go-ahead move on Carter Verhaeghe's score. 'And that's kind of the result of it.' Advertisement By Game 3, Carolina had seen a 1-1 game entering the third mushroom into a 6-2 loss for their 15th straight loss in a conference final going back to sweeps in 2009, 2019 and the 2023 one against these Panthers. The Hurricanes regrouped to win Game 4 on the road and avert another sweep, but they faced a long climb to accomplish the improbable. Carolina jumped to a 2-0 lead with Aho twice putting Panthers giveaways in the neutral zone into the net behind Sergei Bobrovsky. But the Panthers flurry of three goals on consecutive second-period shots — two coming in a 30-second span — erased that deficit and silenced a roaring crowd giddy by Carolina's start. While the Hurricanes responded with Seth Jarvis' tying goal midway through the third, the dynamic of the game had completely changed after a flurry coach Rod Brind'Amour called ' 'You could just feel us — it's just natural, the building, everything, it kind of sucked a little bit of life out of us,' he said. Advertisement Carolina's five-week playoff push had included five-game series wins against the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals, the latter being this year's top seed in the Eastern Conference. Yet the Hurricanes went from going 5-0 at home in those two series to losing all three home games against the Panthers. Carolina has won at least one postseason series in its current run of seven straight playoff appearances, though three have now ended in the Eastern final. 'We've had slow starts in the series, when it gets to the top four teams, they're great teams, and having a slow start is never great,' Staal said. 'Obviously we always believe in the group when we get here and coming up short is never easy, and it doesn't get any easier. We'll just try to get better and try again.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers look every bit like reigning Stanley Cup champs in routing Hurricanes to open Eastern final
Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal (11) talks with an official about a call during the first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand, left, is separated by officials from Carolina Hurricanes' Shayne Gostisbehere (4) during the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot from the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) redirects the puck past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) with Andrei Svechnikov (37) nearby during the first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal (11) talks with an official about a call during the first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Florida Panthers in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand, left, is separated by officials from Carolina Hurricanes' Shayne Gostisbehere (4) during the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot from the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) redirects the puck past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) with Andrei Svechnikov (37) nearby during the first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during first period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — It didn't matter that the Florida Panthers were playing 48 hours since having to win a Game 7 on the road to reach the Eastern Conference final. Nor did it matter they were playing in front of a rowdy hostile crowd, against a team that had yet to lose at home and had been lockdown-elite on the penalty kill. Advertisement Instead, the Panthers methodically jumped on the Carolina Hurricanes, immediately ripped away home-ice advantage and played with an edge befitting their status as reigning Stanley Cup champions in Tuesday night's 5-2 win in Game 1. 'I don't know if it's a statement," said Carter Verhaeghe, who had a power-play goal midway through the first period to put Florida ahead and keep Carolina in chase mode for good. "They're going to come back with their best. We're just trying to go in and play our game every single time.' To listen to Verhaeghe and coach Paul Maurice, it wasn't the result of some lights-out performance of relentless perfection. There were hiccups in transitioning from series against Tampa Bay and Toronto, teams with different styles that rely on, as Maurice said, being 'so dynamic up the middle of the ice" compared to a different rush style with a Carolina team that relies on a an aggressive forecheck to pressure and control the puck in the offensive zone. 'I think the best growth in our team comes off losses,' Maurice said. 'I think that's where we learn more. I didn't love our game tonight. But I understood it. Significant style change, so the Game 1 is that first look at what your game looks like in a completely different opponent.' Advertisement Maybe so, but it was more than good enough. The Panthers were coming off a 6-1 win on Sunday in Game 7 of the second-round series against the Maple Leafs. That set up a rematch of the 2023 East final swept by the Panthers by four one-game margins, including a four-overtime thriller in that Game 1 that ended on Matthew Tkachuk's winner during the sixth-longest game in NHL history. The Panthers waited to fly to Carolina on Monday to stick with their usual postgame routine of staying in the road city to rest and recover. Then they went on to take care of this game with far less theatrics need to win that epic '23 opener, this time against a Hurricanes team that was 5-0 at home in the playoffs and had been off since closing out the conference's top-seeded Washington Capitals last Thursday. 'We know what to do and we know the recipe and our identity," said fourth-line forward A.J. Greer, who had a critical second-period goal to restore a two-goal margin. Advertisement Verhaeghe started by finding space alone near the edge of the crease on a first-period power play, then backhanded a rising puck past Frederik Andersen and into the upper right corner of the net for quick strike against a Hurricanes kill that had been the postseason's best by allowing just two goals through 30 attempts in two rounds. Aaron Ekblad followed four minutes later for the tone-setting 2-0 lead. Then Greer answered Sebastian Aho's off-the-skate score in the final seconds of the first period by finishing a perfect 2-on-1 backhanded feed from Niko Mikkola, before Sam Bennett followed with another power-play score with Brad Marchand screening Andersen in the third. Eetu Luostarinen added a goal for a 5-1 lead with the outcome long decided, making it five different players finding the net and 11 players tallying at least one point. Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 31 saves in his latest Carolina-befuddling effort, notably a glove stop on Jack Roslovic's shot from the slot after losing his stick midway through the second. Advertisement 'They're going to do the same thing we're doing,' Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. 'You can tell they do very similar stuff and they try to grind you down too. They're here for a reason, they know how to do it well.' By the end, the only buzz left came from Marchand and Carolina's Shayne Gostisbehere getting into a third-period tussle, with Gostisbehere saying he shot a puck at Marchand after the veteran acquired from Boston at the trade deadline took 'a run at me.' Marchand ultimately earned a game-misconduct penalty and had an official escorting him to the locker-room tunnel, with Marchand barking back toward center ice the whole time. It was the perfect defiant tone for Florida's win. 'Our depth has been incredible all year and especially in the playoffs,' Bennett said. 'Every line is showing up, all our defense, Bobi obviously. But it really has been a full team effort every single night and it makes it a lot easier when you have every guy stepping up and playing like that.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timely 3rd-period goals from Hall, Walker keep Hurricanes in control of playoff win against Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov, center, celebrates his goal with Jordan Staal, right, and Dmitry Orlov (7) during the third period of Game 4 of second- round playoff series against the Washington Capitals in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker (26) controls the puck in front of Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael (24) during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall (71) celebrates his goal with teammate Jack Roslovic (96) during the third period of Game 4 of second-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall (71) celebrates after his goal with Washington Capitals' Matt Roy (3) nearby during the third period of Game 4 of second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall (71) celebrates after his goal with Washington Capitals' Matt Roy (3) nearby during the third period of Game 4 of second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov, center, celebrates his goal with Jordan Staal, right, and Dmitry Orlov (7) during the third period of Game 4 of second- round playoff series against the Washington Capitals in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker (26) controls the puck in front of Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael (24) during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall (71) celebrates his goal with teammate Jack Roslovic (96) during the third period of Game 4 of second-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Taylor Hall (71) celebrates after his goal with Washington Capitals' Matt Roy (3) nearby during the third period of Game 4 of second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) RALEIGH, N..C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes twice found their two-goal margin halved in the third period of their latest playoff game with the Washington Capitals. Each time they found a prompt response. Advertisement And that pushed the Hurricanes within a win of the Eastern Conference final for the second time in three seasons. Taylor Hall scored on a breakaway chance roughly three minutes after the Washington Capitals scored their first goal, then Sean Walker added one minutes after NHL all-time goals leader Alex Ovechkin struck with a 5-on-3 one-timer. Those kept the Hurricanes in control on the way to a 5-2 win Monday night, securing a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven second-round series. 'We get an individual effort, and that's really what those were, good plays,' Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. 'But burying it, finishing your chances at a crucial time in the game. ... Both of those goals were huge for us.' Both Hall and Walker finished with two points, with Walker getting the second assist on Hall's score and Hall returning the favor by springing Walker's surge up the ice on the way to the first career postseason goal. But the timing of the goals stood out, with each blunting the momentum of a Washington team that had been shutout for five straight periods going back to Saturday's 4-0 loss in Game 3. Advertisement Carolina carried a 2-0 lead into the third before Jakob Chychrun beat Frederik Andersen on a feed from Matt Roy after Roy had denied Carolina's chance to clear the zone. That score came at the 5:18 mark of the third to add a jolt of tension rippling through the Lenovo Center after Carolina had kept a firm grip on the game to that point. But Hall — acquired in January in the blockbuster deal that brought in Mikko Rantanen as the headliner — made a veteran read to blunt that momentum. After being knocked to the ice in the offensive zone, Hall was getting up as the Capitals pushed the puck toward the other end. But as Hall got to center ice, he was completely alone — Washington coach Spencer Carbery said the defense lost track of Hall behind the forecheck and were too deep in the zone — and the Hurricanes were on the verge of collecting the puck as it went around the wall. So Hall turned in back toward the blue line, straddling it long enough to stay onside until Jack Roslovic's long pass arrived to spring the breakaway chance. Advertisement 'Yeah, everyone's asking me if I was cheating for offense,' Hall said, adding; 'I thought it was just something to try.' Hall skated in and beat Logan Thompson to the glove side at the 8:24 mark, pushing the margin back to 3-1. 'It's a read, we had possession of the puck," Brind'Amour said. 'So that's actually a good play by him.' The Capitals again kept the pressure on with Ovechkin's blast past Andersen on the two-man advantage at the 12:14 mark, dampening the rowdy zeal in Carolina's home arena. But that's when Hall and Walker teamed up for the goal that would reassert control. Advertisement It started on a puck battle and the unusual sight of Washington's Rasmus Sandin skating in to get the puck from Walker, only to get the blade of his stick stuck in a gap along the boards. Walker got to his feet as Hall collected the puck, then flipped a pass to Walker as he charged up the left side. Walker hesitated to cut inside Roslovic toward the slot and beat Thompson at the 16:45 mark, pushing the lead back to 4-2 in what became a back-breaking score. 'I feel like they were backchecking really hard, so I kind of just read that," Walker said. 'Tried to be patient. Once I stepped inside, I felt like I had a good lane so I shot it, and just happy it went in.' Andrei Svechnikov added the empty-net clincher less than a minute later to deny Washington's bid to retake home-ice advantage, the capper to Carolina's steady response amid growing third-period danger. Advertisement 'I think that's something that's really important, especially this time of year,' Walker said. 'You've got to answer when teams are making their push.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mikko Rantanen and other trade deadline additions are having big impacts on the NHL playoffs
Winnipeg Jets left wing Brandon Tanev argues with an official during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand (63) and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton (24) vie for control of the puck during the third period of Game 1 in an NHL hockey second-round playoff series in Toronto, Monday, May 5, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP Washington Capitals left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72) celebrates after his goal in the second period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven (22) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho, center, celebrates with teammates Shayne Gostisbehere, left, and Logan Stankoven (22) after Aho's game-winning goal during the second overtime period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the New Jersey Devils in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) chases the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) chases the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Winnipeg Jets left wing Brandon Tanev argues with an official during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand (63) and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton (24) vie for control of the puck during the third period of Game 1 in an NHL hockey second-round playoff series in Toronto, Monday, May 5, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP Washington Capitals left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72) celebrates after his goal in the second period of Game 1 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven (22) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho, center, celebrates with teammates Shayne Gostisbehere, left, and Logan Stankoven (22) after Aho's game-winning goal during the second overtime period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the New Jersey Devils in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) chases the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Mikko Rantanen is showing exactly why Dallas was willing to pay such a hefty price to put him the roster. One of the players the Stars traded for Rantanen is also making a positive impact for his new team. Nearly every team in the second round of the NHL playoffs is benefitting from moves they made at the trade deadline. That includes Toronto with Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton; Florida with Brad Marchand and Seth Jones; Washington with Anthony Beauvillier; Edmonton with Jake Walman and Trent Frederic; Winnipeg with Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn; and the Carolina Hurricanes also with Taylor Hall and Mark Jankowski. Advertisement One of those teams — or maybe Vegas, which made a move to get Reilly Smith back — will hoist the Stanley Cup in June and have a trade or two to credit for the journey. The Stars and Hurricanes are co-Cup favorites according to BetMGM Sportsbook after making the biggest deadline deal: Rantanen to Dallas for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and a third-rounder to Carolina. Rantanen has had a hat trick in each of the past two games — last weekend in Game 7 to knock out the Colorado Avalanche who traded him in late January and then in Wednesday's series opener at Winnipeg. "It's a treat,' teammate Sam Steel said. 'He's one of the best players in the world and he's just on fire right now, so we're just trying to get him the puck.' Stars coach Peter DeBoer said Rantanen had an easy transition. That may be an understatement, as the 28-year-old Finn leads the postseason with eight goals and 15 points. Advertisement "We all know how elite he is,' Jets winger Nino Niederreiter said. 'He's really done it these last few games and throughout his whole career — always a fantastic player." That was the Hurricanes' thinking when they sent Martin Necas, Jack Drury and two picks to Colorado for Rantanen in an unexpected, blockbuster trade more than a month before the deadline. Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic — who drafted Rantanen with the 10th pick in 2015 — heard after that move that the possibility of another trade back West was possible. With the clock ticking toward the deadline on March 7, first-year Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky made the most of the situation and dealt Rantanen to the Stars, who then signed him to an eight-year, $96 million extension. Rantanen is a playoff producer (101 points in 81 games before this spring, including helping Colorado win the Cup in 2022). Advertisement Carolina has gotten three goals this playoffs from Stankoven and three points from Hall, while Jankowski was a big reason for a perfect penalty kill in the first round. "They've all helped in a lot of different ways on both sides of the puck," captain Jordan Staal said. 'Three great players that have really kind of solidified our lineup and played really well for us.' So has Marchand for defending champion Florida, so far scoring at a point-a-game pace this playoffs. He and Jones felt welcomed right away. 'This team is built to want to win, and they have that drive," Marchand said. 'And when you walk in the room, everyone was really excited for each and every one of us to come in and be part of the group.' Advertisement The Capitals got Beauvillier in part because he has had some high-scoring playoffs. He had 27 points combined over two New York Islanders trips to the Eastern Conference Final and put up five points in his first six games with Washington. 'There's something about important games and meaningful games that get me, I guess, a little bit more fired up and get my a little bit more focused,' Beauvillier said. Some of the additions have been more subtle: Laughton has a couple of points and Carlo is playing important minutes for the Maple Leafs as they try to get past the second round for the first time in more than two decades. Schenn and Tanev toughened up Winnipeg, and Walman and Frederic helped the Oilers fill holes vacated by Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway leaving last summer. Dallas also loaded up beyond Rantanen. General manager Jim Nill's February trade for Cody Ceci and Mikael Granlund, also involving a first-round pick, has paid dividends. Advertisement 'I can't say enough about Granlund and what he's brought, Cody Ceci — (without them) we don't get through the first round,' DeBoer said. ___ AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Aaron Beard in Raleigh, North Carolina, Stephen Hawkins in Frisco, Texas, Pat Graham in Denver and the Canadian Press contributed. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
