The Carolina Hurricanes are rolling in the NHL playoffs. Next is another lengthy between-rounds rest

Time to recharge

Carolina’s game plan relies on grinding effort and energy: an aggressive forecheck to pressure opponents into mistakes, possessing the puck in the offensive zone and staying there and firing chances at goaltenders and chasing rebounds — all of which minimizes scoring chances going the other way. That's why the benefit of fresh legs and recharged minds has mattered more than the risk of rust so far. Consider veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen. The 36-year-old Dane had started 32 playoff games for Carolina the past three years and the question lingered as to how much to lean on Andersen with 31-game winner Brandon Bussi also available. But Andersen has been the best goaltender of the playoffs so far, with a 1.12 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. He has two shutouts and has faced 25 or fewer shots in five of his eight games. Now he'll get another break to stay fresh. As Andersen put it: “You don't really want to add extra games if you can avoid it.” Or there's the case of defenseman Sean Walker. It was in the hours after Thursday's Game 3 road win that he got the call from wife Taylor back in North Carolina that their first baby was on the way. So, he hopped an early morning flight home for the arrival of a daughter just in time for Mother's Day. He ate his pregame meal in the hospital cafeteria, then flew to Philadelphia around 2 p.m. Saturday ahead of the 6:15 p.m. puck drop. “I didn’t want to get on the boys and tell them we better win tonight, but I’m really appreciative that everybody dug in,” Walker said. “The sweep's huge for everybody. But to take this time to just be with my family is going to be really special.”

Familiar roadblock awaits

Carolina has been elite on the penalty kill, a recurring strength, shutting down 38 of 40 chances (95%) while getting a shorthanded goal in Game 3 at Philadelphia. Offensively, the second line of Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake has been dominant, with 14 goals and 31 points through eight games. That's more than offsetting a quiet start for the Sebastian Aho-Andrei Svechnikov-Seth Jarvis top line, as well as a power play that is just 5 of 37 (13.5%) in the playoffs after ranking fourth in the regular season at 24.9%. Still, the Hurricanes never trailed in their first five postseason games, and have won their last five games with a chance to close out an opponent. Next comes a familiar roadblock. Boston swept a happy-to-be-here Carolina team in the 2019 East final after the Hurricanes ended a nine-year playoff drought in Brind'Amour's first season. Florida swept Carolina in 2023 with four one-goal wins, then beat Carolina in five games last year. Now the Hurricanes get another shot. “The season is so long and there's that 82-game season we talk about that no one really gives much credit to, and yet this team’s played well for eight months," Brind'Amour said. "They didn’t just get hot at the end. It’s been night in, night out like this. And that’s the biggest takeaway for me. Probably the thing I’m most proud of about this group is that. "And now, here we are. We've got to find a way to get that next step.” \\\_ AP NHL playoffs: and