Jordan Martinook’s true feelings after Hurricanes’ Game 5 win vs. Rangers

Jordan Martinook played a big role in Carolina’s comeback on Monday. The Hurricanes got their comeback started early in the final frame, as well. Captain Jordan Staal scored a fantastic goal to put his team on the board. Around three minutes later, Evgeny Kuznetsov struck. His goal gave Carolina a 2-1 lead.

Martinook scored not too long after that one. Jack Drury threw a puck into the slot from behind the net. Martinook found it and ripped it past Igor Shesterkin to make it a 3-1 game. Later on, forward Martin Necas scored an empty net goal to put the nail in New York’s coffin.

“We trusted our game and it ended up paying off. We live to fight another day. No one was hanging any heads. We knew we had to have our best period and we did,” Staal said after the game on Monday, via the official Hurricanes website.

Carolina can force Game 7 with Rangers

The Hurricanes are still tasked with a difficult road ahead. They need to win each of their next two games to return to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they certainly have momentum on their side now. And the Rangers could be in trouble if they don’t do something soon.

New York had a chance to sweep the Hurricanes in Game 4. Carolina entered the third period with a 3-1 lead in that contest. But the Rangers found a way to tie the game in the final frame. It seemed as if the game would go to overtime, which would make three straight overtime games. However, the Hurricanes came up with a late game-winning goal to avoid that outcome.

Now, Carolina has won two consecutive games and has new life in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. According to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, no big changes were made. “Finally some things – I don’t know if it’s breaks or whatever you want to call it – went our way. There’s a high-level desperation with our game in the third period, but we had to. I just think we got a few bounces, finally,” the Hurricanes head coach said, via the team’s official website.

The job is not done yet for Jordan Martinook and the Hurricanes. But they are well on the way to making a series of this matchup. Game 6 takes place at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Thursday night with puck drop currently scheduled for 7 PM Eastern Time.