WASHINGTON — The Tampa Bay Lightning, the best team in hockey during the regular season, were swept, a fate that also befell the Pittsburgh Penguins. The…
WASHINGTON — The Tampa Bay Lightning, the best team in hockey during the regular season, were swept, a fate that also befell the Pittsburgh Penguins. The San Jose Sharks rallied from a three-goal deficit with a comeback sparked by a controversial power play en route to Tuesday’s overtime Game 7 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
A frantic first-round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, however, came to a conventional end on Wednesday: Justin Williams was clutch as usual. Williams, aka « Mr. Game 7, » set up Brock McGinn’s game-winning goal as the Carolina Hurricanes advanced with a 4-3 double-overtime Game 7 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.
« This doesn’t add to anything, » Williams said when asked about his latest Game 7 exploits. « This is not my story. This the Hurricanes’ story. I’m proud of every single one of our guys and we are not done. »
Williams’ assist gave him 15 points in Game 7s and he has an 8-1 record in those decisive games.
The New York Islanders — who swept the Penguins — are next for the Hurricanes, a team that drew attention earlier this season for their wins. Well, more precisely, what they did after their wins: Postgame celebrations on home ice that drew the wrath of « Hockey Night in Canada » analyst Don Cherry. Cherry called the Hurricanes a « bunch of jerks » and other old-school hockey folks shared similar sentiments.
Four playoff wins later, those « jerks » are where the President’s Trophy-winning Lightning and the last season’s finalists (Washington and Vegas) are not.
