Known for their shot volume of putting the puck on net from just about every angle, the Carolina Hurricanes moved on to the Eastern Conference final by keeping the Washington Capitals from doing anything of the sort.
The Hurricanes eliminated the Capitals in five games with a tight-checking defensive effort that was a masterclass of the kind of hockey coach Rod Brind'Amour wants his team to play. They limited their second-round opponent to under 20 shots a night, including seven or fewer in 11 of the 15 regulation periods in the series.
"We're a lot of just on top of guys," captain Jordan Staal said Thursday night after winning 3-1 to advance . "We just kind of give them the least amount of room and make them turn the puck over so we have the puck, and then when we have the puck, we try to move it as quick as we can into their end and grind them out."
Carolina grinded through to a second East final appearance in three years in a total of 10 games. That certainly won't hurt 35-year-old goaltender Frederik Andersen, 40-year-old hulking defenseman Brent Burns or any players who might be nursing some bumps and bruises, such as Jalen Chatfield, who missed Game 5 with an undisclosed injury.
"Obviously, guys are getting banged up this time of year," defenseman Sean Walker said. "It's a hard game, so rest definitely isn't a bad thing."