It was the kind of play that can turn around a game, can help win a game. It's also was the kind of play — pure hustle — the Canes likely will need again tonight in Game 4 against the Bruins.
Late in the second period of Game 3, the Canes trailed 1-0. The Bruins had possession in the Canes zone but a Mark Recchi pass missed its target, with the puck skidding back toward the Boston blue line and Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart in position to easily skate back and retrieve it.
But the Canes' Eric Staal thought otherwise. Using his long strides, he went racing after Stuart and the puck, determined to make something happen.
"He wasn't going back as hard as he could have for the puck, and I kind of noticed that and I pushed real hard to get back there and get on him tight," Staal said today. "I got a good couple of stick checks on him, stripped him from behind and then ended up finishing him."
As in crunching Stuart into the boards. The RBC Center crowd was roaring. The Canes maintained control of the puck, pressuring the Bruins, pressuring goaltender Tim Thomas, eventually drawing a penalty against the Bruins.
"We had a pretty good shift," Staal said, smiling.
Staal then scored on the power play to tie the score. Sergei Samsonov followed with another goal 69 seconds later to make it 2-1. One hustle play started it.
"Being on the forecheck, being on their D, hunting 'em down I think makes our team successful," Staal said. "To a man, we've done a pretty good job of that the last three games and we have to be better tonight because they're going to be better."
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
