When a team's philosophy fails them in a playoff game, fans naturally call for an adjustment. While there is certainly logic to changing up an unsuccessful approach, most players and coaches are conditioned to stick with the game plan that enabled them to get this far into the season. The Boston Celtics have decided to stay with their 3-point heavy offensive system, and they find themselves down 2-0 in the NBA playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes have little interest in making tweaks themselves.
Despite winning a road game versus the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and heading back home with the theoretical upper hand in the series, the Canes' aggression on offense has failed to produce much in the way of results. They have prioritized quantity over quality in their shot selection, which might explain why the series is tied at one game apiece instead of being an overwhelming Carolina lead.
This squad trusts in its process, however, and believes it can solidify home-ice advantage by staying the course.
“That's our style,” veteran defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen, following Thursday's 3-1 loss. “That's what we do… I'd say the luck isn't there, but we're not going to change a thing. If it ain't broke, we're not going to fix it. That's our game. We put pucks on the net. We crash the net. We get traffic and the bounces will come next.”
Is the Hurricanes' plan sustainable
Some squads like to avoid chaos at all costs, but Rod Brind'Amour's boys thrive on it. Just look at how the Hurricanes won Game 1. Jaccob Slavin hit the game-winner from near the blue line, as he and his teammates watched the puck slip through multiple Capitals players for the improbable clincher in overtime. That is the type of magic Carolina is hoping to create by peppering the defense with shot attempts.
The Hurricanes have scored only three goals in this second-round series thus far, so it will be interesting to see if Brind-Amour decides to alter his strategy slightly in what could be a pivotal Game 3. If nothing else, they should feel confident about the stellar defense they have displayed against the 51-win Caps.
Carolina will try to put everything together on Saturday. The puck drops at 6 p.m. ET in the Lenovo Center.