OTTAWA — The Carolina Hurricanes are determined to prevent the Ottawa Senators from mounting a comeback in this series.
The prospect of extending their playoff journey by another day, another game, ignites hope, and hope is a vital commodity in the postseason.
Consequently, the Hurricanes have no intention of resting on their accomplishments, as they only require one more victory from the remaining four games to advance to the second round.
Their objective is to extinguish the Senators’ aspirations as swiftly as possible, ideally by clinching the series in Game 4 at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.
“It’s simply another day,” center Sebastian Aho remarked on Friday. “At this point in the season, when it’s crunch time, you don’t dwell on those thoughts. You just pour everything you have (onto the ice), exert maximum effort, and let the chips fall where they may.”
Carolina defenseman Sean Walker suggested the Senators would be seeking to build on positive moments in Game 4. It is Carolina’s task to limit those opportunities, much as they did in their 2-1 win in Game 3 here on Thursday. The Senators found little offensive rhythm in what was a low-scoring affair.
“You must enter the game with the identical mindset you’ve held for the first three encounters,” he asserted. “They will be playing with fierce desperation. Their backs are against the wall. We need to match their intensity, if not deliver our strongest performance of the entire series.”
Ottawa doesn’t have to search far for encouragement. Last season, they dropped the initial three games of their series against the Maple Leafs in the first round. Yet, they managed to win the subsequent two, giving their provincial rival a significant scare.
Looking further back, forward Claude Giroux experienced a dramatic shift from despair to triumph in 2010 when his Philadelphia Flyers overcame a 3-0 series deficit against the Boston Bruins in the second round, ultimately reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
Only four teams have ever accomplished this feat in the history of best-of-seven series play in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.
“When we were in that position many years ago, we simply had a conviction within the group that we could rally in a series,” Giroux shared. “You’re not thinking you’re going to win the series outright, but you want to fight your way back and create a real chance for yourselves. The momentum shifts. … For us, it’s all about Game 4, and that is our sole concern.”
The Hurricanes’ mission in Game 4 is to eliminate that flicker of belief.
“As I’ve stated since before the series commenced, we all recognize what a formidable team they are,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour commented. “They have played with unwavering effort in every game and will continue to do so. Our only path to success is to play as hard as we possibly can and execute properly. Otherwise, things will not go well for us.”