Gold: Game 2 preview and tangible achievements from Monday

By Adam Gold, radio host for 99.9 The Fan

“It’s not a series until the home team loses a game.” -- Everyone on every TV sports network or radio show during the playoffs.

There’s a popular sports axiom. At least some version of expressing the fact that in winning Game 1, 5-1, all the Carolina Hurricanes accomplished was holding serve against the Boston Bruins. Lose tonight and the advantage has been squandered.

For those who checked out the Canes Corner Podcast after Monday’s win, you heard me talk about nothing having been accomplished as of yet. That’s both true and false.

Clearly, winning Game 1 of a series is an accomplishment. It literally gets you closer to the first checkpoint of the journey towards winning the Stanley Cup. There are also great things to take away from a game in which the Canes were not significantly better than the Bruins in terms of the run of play. Yes, Carolina won, 5-1. But, Boston had their chances to dent the scoreboard in the first period and early in the third but Antti Raanta saved the day.

Therein lies the real accomplishment, if it can even be called one. Needed because of the knee injury to Freddie Andersen, Raanta met the ultimate challenge in his career. The 32-year old veteran back up stopped 35 shots and really held Carolina in it during the opening half of the first period when the Bruins were all over the Canes pushing for the first goal.

It’s never been a question of goaltending talent, it’s more been about durability and handling THAT moment. Raanta had appeared in 5 playoff games in his career, but never as a starter. He never once went to sleep with the burden of being in the crease with the responsibility of performance.

As head coach Rod Brind’Amour says, the Canes checked that box.

"You want to obviously get your game going and feel good about what's going on, but the other team's trying to do that, too," Brind'Amour said.

"[Boston] played a good game the other night. We capitalized on our chances and I think they're going to be desperate. We have to play that way to be successful. That's kind of been our MO all year. I don't expect anything less from them, that's for sure."

In addition, Seth Jarvis, Nino Niederreiter and Vincent Trocheck all scored. Answering, at least for the time being, the question about would Carolina get enough depth scoring to be the team they need to be to play deep into June – and maybe beyond.

I know, I know, Jarvis is playing on the top line, he’s supposed to score. But, he’s 20 years old and you just never know. But, the kid was poised, involved throughout and, as the head coach said, "he sure didn't look out of place." As for the two veteran pieces to the Hurricanes offensive puzzle, Trocheck has just 3 goals in 18 postseason games with the Canes. Nino only has 4 in 30 for Carolina. And, those numbers include Game 1. For the Hurricanes to be successful, obviously their stars need to produce, but it’s their scoring depth throughout that will make them serious contenders to win it all.

In that regard, the Hurricanes accomplished a TON in Game 1. Now, it’s time to do it all over again.

No changes to the lineup for Rod Brind’Amour’s team who will line up this way.

Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis

Domi-Trocheck-Taravainen

Niederreiter-Staal-Fast

Martinook-Kotkoniemi-Necas

Slavin-DeAngelo

Skjei-Pesce

Smith-Cole

Raanta

Wanna bet?

ML: Hurricanes -120/Bruins EVEN. O/U: 5.5 goals.

Coverage of Game 2 begins at 6:00 with Storm Watch starring Dennis Cox with face off coming just after 7:00. Don’t forget to follow the Canes Corner Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. A new episode drops the #MorningAfter every Hurricanes game.