The Hurricanes were tremendous in their first eight games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, four-game sweeps against the Ottawa Senators in the first round and the Philadelphia Flyers in the second. They allowed two or fewer goals in each of those games, a far cry from the four they allowed in the first period against the Canadiens on Thursday.

I think he’s the best 200-foot player in the game,” Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. “I do. And there are some good ones. But he’s right there.” The forward made a case in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final at Ball Arena on Friday.