Noah Hanifin helped in both ends of the rink Thursday, setting up a goal and blocking four shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The assist snapped a five-game point drought for Hanifin, who had been held to two assists over 12 contests since the start of the second round. Even in a game that ended with his team on the wrong side of the score, he continued to draw heavy defensive work and finished with a line that reflected it.
Over 18 playoff outings, Hanifin has seven assists, 23 shots on net, 17 hits, 38 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating. That mix of production and shutdown play is what has kept him in a visible role during the postseason, even if the final result Thursday did not reward it.
The setback leaves the next step less about Hanifin's individual stat line than about whether his side can turn his steady defensive minutes into a win before Game 3. For now, the numbers show a player still doing his job, even in a loss that pushed the Finals deeper into pressure territory.
