Storm scourge. Canes season ends with Game 5 loss to Lightning
Canes #Canes
The Carolina Hurricanes will hang a banner for the Central Division title in PNC Arena before the start of next season.
That will be the only one.
The Tampa Bay Lightning ended the Canes’ season on Tuesday with a 2-0 win in Game 5 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Canes, after winning the COVID modified division in a 56-game regular season, will have that to add to their collection at PNC Arena but no more.
The Lightning will chase another big banner after winning the Cup last year in the playoff “bubble.” They will face either the New York Islanders or the Boston Bruins in the NHL’s version of the Final Four.
The Canes will have the offseason to wonder “What if?” after losing all three games they played at home in the series.
The Lightning got a power-play goal from Brayden Point at 4:06 in the second period and Ross Colton added a dagger at 9:04 in the third period.
That was all that goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy needed. Vasilevskiy stopped 29 shots and allowed a total of two goals, on 98 shots, in three games in Raleigh.
The Canes’ best chance was actually a short-handed chance by Vincent Trocheck in the second period, on a 2-on-1 break with Jordan Staal but Vasilevskiy was equal to the task.
Dougie Hamilton had a prime opportunity near the end of the second period, on a nice drop pass from Sebastian Aho, but he couldn’t get the puck past the Tampa Bay goalie.
The biggest difference in the series was Tampa Bay’s ability to capitalize on the power play. The Lightning used three power-play goals on Saturday in Game 4 to erase a two-goal deficit.
For the series, the Lightning were an off-the-charts 7 of 16 with the man advantage. The Canes converted on just 2 of 13 power-play chances.
That 6-4 loss in Game 4 in Tampa will haunt the Canes this offseason as they face some important decisions.
Tops on the list is locking up coach Rod Brind’Amour to a long-term contract. Brind’Amour has led the Canes to the playoffs in each of his three seasons at the coach.
Hamilton, an unrestricted free agent, will likely be gone. A contract will have to be worked out with Andrei Svechnikov, restricted free agent.
Who knows what other roster tweaks the Canes will make after a successful 36-12-8 regular season and a first-round playoff win over the Nashville Predators.
But like the playoff exits to Boston in 2019 and ’20, the Canes’ season ends in disappointment and wondering how they can close the gap with the Cup contenders.
Second round
Game 1: Lightning 2, Canes 1
Game 2: Lightning 2, Canes 1
Game 3: Canes 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Game 4: Lightning 6, Canes 4
Game 5: Lightning 2, Canes 0