The Carolina Hurricanes ran out of steam in the Eastern Conference Finals, getting swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Hurricanes simply didn’t have the offensive firepower to keep up and compete with the explosive Penguins.
It also didn’t help that goaltender Cam Ward, who was really hot the first two rounds, cooled off considerably against Pittsburgh.
That said, a big part of the reason that he cooled off was the combination of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
The Carolina Hurricanes pulled off two straight upsets to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, but they will need a miracle to keep that streak alive and reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Hurricanes are down 3-0 in the series with the suddenly scorching Pittsburgh Penguins and are on the brink of elimination heading into Game 4.
The good news is that the Hurricanes will get the chance to stave off elimination before the home crowd, but with the way the Penguins are playing, it really might not matter.
Carolina lost Game 1, 3-2, and outplayed Pittsburgh in the third period on their home ice. However, they have been thoroughly outplayed since period 2 of Game 2 and are in serious trouble.
The Hurricanes will need a big game from goaltender Cam Ward in Game 4 to keep the series alive.
The Carolina Hurricanes have surprised everyone, knocking off the Boston Bruins in dramatic fashion to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carolina beat the best team in the conference, the Boston Bruins, on the road with an overtime goal in Game 7.
The Hurricanes already pulled the upset in the first round, knocking off the New Jersey Devils in even more dramatic fashion, rallying from a one goal deficit in the final two minutes of the game.
Carolina will now have its hands full with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals in Game 7 as well.
The Hurricanes will have the advantage in goal though with Cam Ward, who has been by far the hottest goaltender in the postseason.
The scorching hot Carolina Hurricanes already upset the New Jersey Devils in the first round, and they are poised to pull off an even bigger stunner in the second round.
The Hurricanes stole a game on the road and have won their past two on home ice, taking a 3-1 series lead over the top-seed Boston Bruins.
However, the series is far from over, as the Hurricanes have just one game remaining on their home ice. If Boston can hold serve at home, they would need just one road win to take the series. Still, that’s a lot easier said than done.
Cam Ward continues to be the star for the Hurricanes in net. He was hot at the end of the season and has carried that momentum into the playoffs, putting the team on his back.
It’s amazing to think that the Hurricanes were ready to get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round and are now just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Carolina Hurricanes pushed the New Jersey Devils to a Game 7, but it looked like that was as far as they would go.
Despite jumping out to a 1-0 lead in Game 7, the Hurricanes found themselves trailing 3-2 with just over a minute to play.
In what will go down as one of the great first round comebacks, the Hurricanes scored two goals in 82 seconds to stun the Devils, 4-3.
It seemed highly unlikely the Hurricanes would be able to tie the game, much less win it.
The Hurricanes advance to the second round and will take on the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins.
