Through 45 minutes of game time, the Carolina Hurricanes played nearly perfect hockey.
This is not to say that every play on the ice was perfect, but the unit played with cohesion and supported each other well.
Despite a last 15 minutes that saw the Canes take their feet off the gas and allow three goals, tonight’s win was something this team needed. Areas of recent struggle, like the power play or getting big-time saves, were not seen tonight.
Let’s hope the team that took the ice tonight can finish
out this homestand strong.
Carolina was ready from the opening whistle. It was a noticeably different jump from the Canes tonight than in recent games.
The Hurricanes’ hard work through the opening minutes was rewarded with a power play.
In the first man advantage of the game, four Canes crashed the net, and each collapsed on the crease. Taylor Hall tipped a Jackson Blake shot, and Carolina was on the board just eight minutes into the game.
Alexander Nikishin’s clean hit on Matthew Wood drew the ire of Reid Schaefer, and the Hurricanes were back on the power play.
Good board play by the Canes forced a delay of game penalty on the Predators, and the home team now had a five-on-three for less than 30 seconds.
A great keep-in by Shayne Gostisbehere kept the big advantage alive. He got it to Seth Jarvis, who faked the shot, settled the puck, went cross ice to Nikolaj Ehlers, and his one timer found the back of the net to capitalize on the five-on-three.
Even with a two-goal lead built by two power play goals, the Canes kept pushing as the first came to a close. William Carrier out-muscled and out-hustled Roman Josi in the corner, brought it back to the front, and shelfed it short side with just 16 seconds left in the period.
A three-goal lead and a 19-5 shot advantage had the Canes looking like the best version of this team.
Nashville had just four shots in the first, but two of those were excellent chances. Even with a light workload, Brandon Bussi had to stay sharp.
But his time would come in the second.
The Predators had seven shots in the second, but it seemed as though each was a quality chance. Bussi came up with each save, including a few highlight reel stops.
The Hurricanes continued to attack, and with about four minutes left in the second period, Ehlers made space in the middle while Blake put the puck on a string and put it top shelf on the backhand to make it 4-0.
At the end of two, Carolina was up four with a 33-11 shot advantage.
Five minutes into the third, Jordan Martinook blocked a shot, and Sebastian Aho poked it away from two Predators to spring a breakaway. Aho sniped it below Juuse Saros’s glove and made it 5-0.
Blake was called for interference soon after the Aho goal. A sharp-angle one-timer on the power play spoiled Bussi’s shutout bid at 6:30 into the third.
Less than two minutes later, Logan Stankhoven forced a turnover in the neutral zone and had a two-on-one with Blake. Blake went to the net, gathered the rebound, and ran off Saros with the sixth Carolina goal of the evening.
At this point in the game, head coach Rod Brind’Amour is not pleased.
The Hurricanes were not skating as hard and had blown assignments that led to two Nashville goals and a couple more chances down the stretch.
Carolina had a breakdown on defense, allowing Matthew Wood to be all alone in front of Bussi with plenty of time for a between-the-legs top-shelf wrister.
Two and a half minutes later, once again, a delay on the defensive rotation allowed for an easy tip-in off the leg of Filip Forsberg to bring Nashville back within three. The Preds almost scored off the ensuing faceoff.
Even with this late push, the Canes finished with a dominant 6-3 victory.
Blaker and Ehlers finished with three points each, while Carolina’s scoring depth was on display with nine other Canes tallying a point.
The defensive breakdowns cost Bussi a good statistical evening, but he earned a third star with his stellar play through most of the game.
1st Period
Taylor Hall (6), PPG; J. Blake (10), L. Stankoven (7)
Nikolaj Ehlers (6), PPG; S. Jarvis (8), S. Gostisbehere (17)
William Carrier (2); J. Martinook (7), J. Staal (3)
2nd Period
Jackson Blake (7); N. Ehlers (12), K. Miller (10)
3rd Period
Sebastian Aho (9); Unassisted
Michael Bunting (7), PPG; L. Evangelista (15), E. Haula (12)
Jackson Blake (8); N. Ehlers (13)
Matthew Wood (8); F. Forsberg (9), B. Skjei (7)
Filip Forsberg (10); N. Blankenburg (8), S. Stastney (8)
