Canes Corner

Seth Jarvis notched his 2nd career NHL hat trick and Brandon Bussi ran his record to 6-1-0 as the Hurricanes beat the Jets, 5-1, on Black Friday.  Jarvis started the scoring with his 13th goal of the season as the Canes took a 1-0 lead after the first period.  Then, after Jordan Martinook snapped a 1-1 tie with a 3rd period goal, Jarvis followed 47 seconds later with his second to extend the lead to 3-1.  Seth would backhand the puck into an empty net to put the game on ice.  Alexander Nikishin's 3rd goal of the year closed out the scoring.  Bussi only had to make 12 saves in the win, but about half of them were grade A chances for Winnipeg -- including a shorthanded breakaway try by Kyle Connor when the game was still 1-1 midway through the third.  Will Rod Brind'Amour got back to Bussi on Sunday?  Stay tuned.  Carolina played a third straight game without Jordan Staal (illness).

The Hurricanes dropped their second straight game -- first time all year that's happened -- in a 4-2 decision to the NY Rangers.  It was a game in which the Canes probably should have scored five times, but they only rang the bell twice.  Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis tallied for Carolina, but despite out-chancing New York 15-3 over the last two periods, the Rangers scored three times and held the Canes at bay.  Frederik Andersen allowed 3 goals on 17 shots and lost for the 4th straight time.  Andersen has one win since October 23 and has allowed at least 3 goals in 11 of his 13 starts this season.  37 goalies have played in at least 10 games this season, and Freddie's .873 SV% is 33rd among them.  Carolina's power play scored for the 3rd straight game.

In the ongoing wings debate over Flats vs Drums, the Canes chose the former as they closed out the 4-game road trip with a 4-1 loss to Buffalo.  Jordan Staal was down with the flu, so the captain didn't play and his team missed his defense AND what he's meant to Carolina's offense.  Freddie Andersen played well, even though the stats might make it seem differently.  Andersen made several great saves and didn't allow a soft goal so maybe that's a sign that he's turning a rough season around.  Shayne Gostisbehere's 1st period power play goal was Carolina's only marker.  We'll also address the Andrei Svechnikov story from Elliott Friedman that has Andrei's representatives reportedly were open to a trade earlier in the season when Andrei was struggling and dropped lower in the lineup. 

The Canes beat the Jets 4-3 in Winnipeg behind 2 goals from Jordan Staal and a pair of big homecomings.  Staal scored 16 seconds into the game to give the Hurricanes the lead, then added his second 3:08 into the second period to get Carolina even at 2-2.  He now has 20 career goals (in 44 games) against the Jets.  The only team against which Staal had scored more is Philadelphia, but his 24 career goals came in 82 games.  Winnipeg native Seth Jarvis scored shorthanded for the second time this season and Nikolaj Ehlers -- who spent 10 seasons with the Jets -- set up Andrei Svechnikov's 3rd period power play goal that became the eventual game-winner.  Brandon Bussi got a surprise start in goal and stopped 24 shots in route to a 5th win in 6 starts for the Canes.

Jackson Blake scored twice, including the tying goal with 1:06 to play, but the Canes fall to the Wild, 4-3, in a shootout. Carolina dominated in almost every way except for in goal. Jesper Wallstedt was spectacular while Frederik Andersen couldn't come up with a big save when the Canes needed it. The Wild scored on a lucky bounce and two breakaways, so none of the goals were awful, but Andersen could have done better. Blake now has 6 goals and 15 points this season through 20 games. Sebastian Aho scored his 8th early in the 3rd to give Carolina hope. Andersen made 15 saves in the loss.  

Pyotr Kotchetkov made 29 saves, the Hurricanes got goals from Jordan Staal, Mark Jankowski and Taylor Hall, and opened up a 4-game Northern Exposure road swing with a 3-1 win over the Bruins. Carolina has a 6-1-1 record in their last 8 games and pulled even with the Devils atop the Metropolitan Division on 27 points. The Canes haven't gotten great goaltending lately, but Kotchetkov was steady tonight and it helped keep the Bruins off the scoreboard until there were less than 10 seconds left in the game. Strong games on the back end from Shayne Gostisbehere, K'Andre Miller and rookie Joel Nystrom stood out as well as Hall, who turned in one of the best performances of the season. 

Leon Draisaitl needed 19 seconds of overtime to give the Oilers a 4-3 win and cap off a 3 point night.  Connor McDavid had two goals and the Canes continued a run of untimely mistakes.  Frederik Andersen misplayed a puck early in the first period that gave Jack Roslovic his 6th goal of the year and staked Edmonton to a 1-0 lead.  Then McDavid's first of the night came while Andrei Svechnikov was in the penalty box for a foolish crosscheck on the Oilers' star.  After that, the Canes were great.  Goals from Eric Robinson, Nik Ehlers and Jordan Staal helped get a point, but they couldn't get two.  We also talk Canes goaltending and why it's okay to see Svech play a little dirty.

Carolina made a few mistakes, but in the end they dominated Vancouver and deserved to win the game. The top line looked the part and K'Andre Miller had a big bounce back game. Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist, Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals in less than a minute of the first period. Taylor Hall got the game even in the third. Carolina is now 3-0 in overtime and won the only shootout they've been in. 

It wasn't a good night for some of the Hurricanes' best players and it cost them in a 4-1 loss to the Capitals.  Nikolaj Ehlers scored Carolina's only goal.  The power play went 0 for 5 and a pair of give aways directly led to Washington goals as Carolina sees a 3-game win streak end.  

The Canes rallied to beat the Maple Leafs in Toronto, 5-4, claiming a game they were the better team by every measure.  Five different goal scorers led the way as Aho, Jarvis, Walker, Hall and Stankoven each found the net and K'Andre Miller and Stankoven each had two points.  Along the way, Carolina hit several posts and wasted too many break aways but they just kept coming and pounded the Leafs into submission, outshooting them 21-2 in the 3rd period.  In all it looked a return to Carolina Hurricanes hockey as the sport celebrated the Hall of Fame ceremonies that will take place tomorrow in Toronto.

In the first 21 minutes of Thursday night's game between the Canes and the Wild there were 45 minutes in penalties, 7 goals, 2 injuries and an ejection.  In the end the Canes hung on for 4-3 win over Minnesota.  Jackson Blake and Sean Walker each had a goal and an assist.  Andrei Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers each scored and the Hurricanes celebrated their Captain's record breaking game as he becomes the all-time leader in games played for the Canes.  K'Andre Miller's return to the lineup was spectacular.  Sean Walker continues his strong season.  The only downer was the injury to Jalen Chatfield who took a high hit from Tyler Pitlick in the first period and didn't return.  

Pyotr Kochetkov shut out the Rangers on 25 saves, Nikolaj Ehlers scored his first goal with the Hurricanes and they turned the lights out on the home team at Madison Square Garden.  Carolina scored once on the power play in three tries and shut out the Rangers on all three of their tries.  New York had just 1 shot on goal in the 3rd period as the Canes outshot them 31-25.  Alexander Nikishin and Sean Walker led a full team effort on the blue line.

The Canes could not get their offense going in a 2-1 loss to the Bruins.  Alexander Nikishin scored Carolina's only goal and two early third period goals by Boston pushed the Hurricanes to their 4th loss in their last 6 games.  The bright side was continued strong play from Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov as well as the fact that Seth Jarvis was able to play.  Among the topics within is a discussion about how to handle three healthy goaltenders now that Pyotr Kochetkov has been activated and sent out on a conditioning stint.

Brandon Bussi's 1st start on home ice was a good one as he made 26 saves in a Canes 6-2 win over the Islanders.  He did most of his best work in a 14-save first period as the Hurricanes took a 3-1 lead on goals from Bradly Nadeau, Mike Reilly and Jordan Martinook.  For Nadeau, it was his first NHL goal and showed off his super fast release.  Jackson Blake, Andrei Svechnikov and Logan Stankoven finished out the scoring in the 3rd period with Blake's goal coming early and pushing the Carolina lead to 4-1.  Svechnikov now has goals in consecutive games after going the first 8 without a point.  The only downside to the game was a potential injury to Seth Jarvis who went down to block a shot pretty late in the 3rd period and took a puck off the left heel.  The Hurricanes are already down 5 regular players including Jaccob Slavin.  They don't want to be without Jarvis.  

Carolina's first game at home after a 6-game road trip was a 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Hurricanes scored first, as Andrei Svechnikov scored for the first time this season.  But Vegas took the game over from there, scoring twice to claim a 2-1 lead after the first period.  Still, on goals by Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven the Canes somehow held a 3-2 lead early in the 3rd.  However, mistakes with the puck and on the blue line were Carolina's downfall as the Golden Knights scored the last four goals of the game to sweep the season series from the Hurricanes.  Shayne Gostisbehere left the game with an injury -- for the second time in as many games -- though head coach Rod Brind'Amour did say that it was unrelated to the last time, when he left the game in Los Angeles against the Kings.  Rookie Defenseman Joel Nystrom took a puck to the face in the 2nd period, left the game but returned in a full face cage and played the 3rd period.

Freddie Andersen's 44 saves -- plus the 3 in the shootout -- carry the Hurricanes to a 5-4 win in Colorado.  The Canes started the game down ANOTHER defenseman as K'Andre Miller was unable to play due to a lower body injury.  And without Jaccob Slavin and Shayne Gostisbehere, that meant that three rookie defensemen would have to play against the Avs.  Joel Nystrom, Charles-Alexis Legault and Alexander Nikishin combined for about 45 minutes on the ice in the win.  And the injury bug bit the Canes during the game as well as Will Carrier (lower body) and Eric Robinson (upper body) each left the game and didn't return.  Rod Brind'Amour offered that neither issue was minor and their absences would be lengthy.  Seth Jarvis' 7th goal came shorthanded, he also assisted on Sebastian Aho's 3rd of the season and scored the lone goal in the shootout.  Both he and Aho have at least one point in every game this season.  Andersen made all three saves in the shootout for the win.

Carolina fell behind early and went on to lose to the Golden Knights, 4-1.  Two first period goals by Vegas were enough for the home team as the Hurricanes suffer their first loss of the season.  Sebastian Aho's 2nd goal of the year got them within one early in the 2nd period.  But, Ivan Barbashev stole the puck from K'Andre Miller in the middle of the third period and scored past Freddie Andersen for the insurance goal that put this one away.  The Carolina power play went 0 for 4, but the penalty kill was perfect, so it was a special teams wash.

Seth Jarvis' 6th goal of the season gave the Canes a 4-3 overtime win in Los Angeles.  It was his 2nd OT game-winner of the season and his 4th game-winning goal of the year.  The Canes have only played five game!  Jordan Staal scored twice and won 20 of his 22 face offs as he continues his incredible start to the season.  K'Andre Miller and Sean Walker carried the Hurricanes blue line.  Miller had a pair of assists, was a +2, had two takeaways and blocked a shot in 27:36 (!!!).  Walker played 26:03 steady minutes and had 10 shot attempts on the night.  The only real bad news -- other than the power play struggled again tonight, including over a 1:25 stretch of 5-on-3 play -- was the fact that Shayne Gostisbehere left the game late in the 1st period with a lower body injury.  

Seth Jarvis scored twice -- the first of which was the 100th of his career -- and Alexander Nikishin registered his first ever NHL goal as the Canes ran their record to 4-0 with a 4-1 win in Anaheim.  Jarvis scored the game's first two goals, the second coming on the power play.  Alexander Nikishin's first came off a great backhand pass from Sebastian Aho and gave the Canes a 2-goal lead.  Aho finished off the scoring banging in a rebound after a Jarvis steal in the offensive end.  Shayne Gostisbehere had 3 more assists and now has points in every game this year -- as does Jarvis -- and is tied for the team lead in points with Seth.  Freddie Andersen, who was excellent when called upon, had 23 saves in the win.  

Brandon Bussi's NHL debut will be a night he'll never forget.  Spent the better part of the first 30 minutes making save after save after save and allowing the Canes the chance to find their game.  When the Canes did, look out.  Sean Walker, Will Carrier and Eric Robinson all scored in the second period.  Shayne Gostisbehere and Jackson Blake tallied in the 3rd and the Canes held San Jose without a shot on goal in the final period.  Jaccob Slavin did not play and will almost certainly not appear in any of the remaining 5 games on this road trip.  But, Walker, K'Andre Miller, Gostisbehere and Alexander Nikishin were excellent in the win.