After a slow start, the Carolina Hurricanes found their game and took it to the Washington Capitals with a 4-2 win on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. The Canes improved their record to 6-1-1 which leads the league. The Caps dropped to 3-3-0.
Andrei Svechnikov scored twice and had an assist with a dominating performance to lead his team. Those points gave him six goals and five assists so far this young season.
Sebastian Aho had two assists and leads the team with 13 points, (6G 7A).
The home team
started off slow and eventually fell behind 1-0 on a Boone Jenner goal midway through the first period. The score stayed that way until 3:58 into the second period when Svechnikov scored his first.
The Caps would score again to retake the lead but before the end of the period, Eric Robinson sent the puck to the net and it bounced in off a Washington defender and we were tied again. It was Robinson’s second goal of the year.
The third period was all Carolina as they put constant pressure on the visitors. After being outshot 10-8 in the opening period, they outshot the opposition 16-6 in the second and 11-6 in the third.
Svechnikov put in the game-winner when he found himself alone in front of the Washington net during a powerplay. He sent a perfectly placed backhander over goalie Logan Thompson into the top corner of the net, which reminded me of his practice shots I have seen him try time after time. Nikolaj Ehlers made a beautiful play to get the puck to him.
With a minute and change left, Svechnikov made his presence known again when he chased down a potential icing call and beat the Washington defenders down to the puck. He was thinking about trying for his hattrick but saw Mark Jankowski in front of the net so sent the puck over to him for the easy tap in.
Jankowski is on his own hot streak and has five goals, one each in his last five games.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 20 saves on the 22 shots he faced and improved his record to 4-0-0 on the season. Kochetkov tried to maneuver his way for a shot at the empty net opposite him at the end of the game, but it was not to be.
Brind’Amour had to work hard to try to even out the ice time and ice competitive lines throughout the game. Taylor Hall left the game with an injury after 4:11 of ice time. After the game, the coach said he did not have an update on Hall’s injury, but “it didn’t look good”.
AHL transactions posted that the Canes recalled Bradly Nadeau after the game. We will see about that.
During the first period, the Hurricanes posted a tribute to Alexander Ovechkin on the video board and the crowd gave him a fitting ovation. He stood and waved to the crowd for about 10 seconds. It was a nice recognition of the moment.
The Canes have a couple of days off before flying to Winnipeg for a game on Saturday night which will begin their State Fair road trip.
