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The Playoff Buzzer: Hurricanes keep rolling; Stars get even

New York Islanders v Carolina Hurricanes - Game Three

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 01: Justin Williams #14 of the Carolina Hurricanes reacts after scoring the go-ahead goal against the New York Islanders during the third period of Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 01, 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won 5-2. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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  • The Carolina Hurricanes are one win away from reaching their first Eastern Conference Final since the 2008-09 season.
  • Curtis McElhinney makes some history and Justin Faulk scores a highlight reel goal.
  • The Dallas Stars get even against the St. Louis Blues.

Carolina Hurricanes 5, New York Islanders 2 (CAR leads series 3-0)

The Carolina Hurricanes just keep right on rolling. Thanks to their 5-2 win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night they are now just one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Final and continue to write one of the most amazing stories of the 2018-19 season. Justin Williams wanted to see his team play better in Game 3, and they responded with their most complete effort of the series while Williams himself scored the game-winning goal mid-way through the third period.

Dallas Stars 4, St. Louis Blues 2 (Series Tied 2-2)

This game had some pretty intense moments and you can sense the tension rising in what is now a best-of-three series. The Stars were able to get even in their Round 2 matchup against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night by jumping all over them early and holding off a late push in the third period. Roope Hintz continued to score goals, Tyler Seguin and Mats Zuccarello both had a pair of points, and John Klingberg scored a beauty of a goal on the rush for what would go on to be the game-winning goal.
[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Three Stars

1. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes. What a postseason he is having. Slavin added two more assists on Wednesday night to give him a league-leading 12, and also displayed more outstanding defensive zone play without the puck on his stick. He is a workhorse on the Hurricanes’ blue line and was at his best in this game.

2. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars. After falling behind early in the first period the Stars stormed back with four consecutive goals, with Seguin picking up the primary assist on Jason Dickinson’s game-tying goal and John Klingberg’s game-winning goal. The play to set up Klingberg was one of the two pretty goals the Stars scored off the rush on Wednesday night.

3. Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes. Teravainen has become a star for the Hurricanes over the past couple of seasons and one of their go-to offensive players. He made another big contribution on Wednesday night, scoring two goals to give him five this postseason. He opened the scoring early in the first period when he scored right along the goal line, and then added an empty-net goal late in the third period to help put the game away.

Highlights of the Night

This looked to be a sure goal for the Islanders, but Curtis McElhinney had other ideas. Probably the best of his 28 saves on the night.

Just an incredible play by Justin Faulk to fly out of the penalty box, catch the puck in mid-air, quickly drop it to the ice, and then finish the breakaway with a slick move to beat Robin Lehner for a go-ahead goal in the second period.

The future of the Stars’ defense is in good hands with John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen patrolling the blue line for the foreseeable future. The veteran, Klingberg, scored a beauty of a goal on Wednesday night when he took this perfect pass from Tyler Seguin to beat Jordan Binnington with a perfectly placed shot.

Factoids


  • With his fifth goal of the playoffs on Wednesday night Roope Hintz now has the most goals in a single playoff run for a Stars rookie since the 1993-94 season. [NHL PR]
  • Curtis McElhinny is the oldest goalie in NHL history to win his first Stanley Cup Playoffs start. [Sportsnet Stats]
  • Tyler Seguin has set a career-high for most points in a single playoff year. [NHL PR]
  • The Carolina Hurricanes are now 4-0 at home this postseason and have outscored their opponents by a 17-5 margin [Tom Gulitti]
  • Klingberg’s goal was his second-game winner of the postseason, tying a Stars franchise record for a defender. [NHL PR]

Thursday’s Schedule

Game 4: Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN (CBJ leads series 2-1) (Live Stream)
Game 4: San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN (SJ leads series 2-1) (Live Stream)

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.