Unfortunately, the series went out with a fizzle. The series was enjoyable all along, with a bit of everything in every game. No lead was safe.
And then in the showcase game, where it would be more likely that non-hockey fans would watch just on the chance that the Cup would be won, we get a game where Carolina plays to their strength and wins largely by shutting down and frustrating the Knights. You could just see it multiple in Eichel’s body language, when he was skating out of the offensive zone after the Hurricane’s cleared the zone - shoulder slumped.
Staal put up impressive numbers in the finals, but I think it’s kind of a joke that he won the MVP. He was largely invisible for three rounds. And while he had a bunch of goals, most were tip ins, which means they were from offense created by other players.
But it was hard to pick a standout from Carolina. It was a team where it seemed like everyone was contributing.
