Hurricanes goalied for third straight game, now stand on brink of elimination

After another 30+ save performance — in which he’s set the record for the most saves ever by a goalie in the first three games of a Conference Final — Bobrovsky has the Florida Panthers on the cusp of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. He’s been insane, unreal, incredible. Whatever adjective you want to throw out there, that’s what he’s been.

It’s incredibly frustrating for a Carolina Hurricanes team that’s doing everything right too. They’ve perhaps been the better overall team in every game so far, they’ve just gotten the worst luck imaginable.

All three game-winning goals have come with the best defensive defensemen in the game on the ice, but each time with something unfortunate happening leading to it.

The Hurricanes have hit the frame of the goal seven times in this series.

Carolina has been robbed on sure-goals by Bobrovsky’s blocker in each game.

Let’s be honest here too. To play this game, you have to be incredibly skilled. The players are all so talented, but the game is still 75% luck. Bounces, deflections, shot selection, stick placements, decision making. It almost always comes down to luck.

And you can create your own luck too. The more chances you generate, the better your odds of scoring, the less you give up, the worse your opponents odds.

So this series has been a giant roulette table on ice and despite playing the odds, Carolina has almost run out of money .

So what do you do?

That’s the ultimate question.

Because Carolina is doing everything that they can to be able to win. They’re getting tons of chances, the defense is playing well and the Hurricanes have actually had tremendous goaltending as well, just not on a transcended level.

Where do you go from here, when the blueprint and execution are all there?

That’s the big question and I’m not sure there’s an answer.

But it’s also certainly not over.

Three times in the entire NHL’s history, a team has come back from a 3-0 deficit.

Those odds aren’t great, but Carolina hasn’t been lucky even when the odds have been on their side. Why not push ‘em all in on one last gamble? What else do you have to lose?