Saturday night’s game was one of those that the Carolina Hurricanes needed to win.
There was a lot of good, but it’s still evident the Canes have more work to do, especially in the defensive end.
Carolina
started on time and jumped out to an early double-digit shot lead.
Despite the good start, the Hurricanes gave up a late first period goal. At the start of a power play, Philadelphia moved the puck effectively, got a weird bounce off the glass, and Carolina lost a man in the slot. Unfortunately, the Canes had a few defensive lapses throughout the game, allowing the Flyers to stay in it.
Carolina continued their second period dominance on home ice. Logan Stankoven got the Canes on the board by cleaning up a terrific individual effort by Jackson Blake. The Canes got in transition, Blake had the puck on a string, and Stankoven was there to bang home the rebound.
Eric Robinson and Taylor Hall continued their hot start to the season with a beautiful transition goal to bring the Hurricanes even. After the game, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said that Robinson was “sensational,” and that he has to find more ice time for that he and Hall.
With just a minute and a half left in the second, the Jordan Staal line created a great opportunity with excellent board play. Jordan Martinook created space behind the net and found Staal for the one-timer. From the opening puck drop, this line was controlling the play along the boards, imposing a consistent physical game.
In his post-game comments, Staal joked that he had been waiting for Martinook to find him on the backside for that type of one-time goal.
It is interesting to note that the Canes outscored the Flyers 3-1 in the second period, but the teams had 12 shots each.
The Hurricanes seemed to settle down in the third with a 3-2 lead. The team was better with their defensive assignments and was controlling the play.
Unfortunately, the first mistake of the third was costly as Travis Sanheim drifted to the high slot as the Canes collapsed below the dots and buried it to tie the game. A blown assignment by Seth Jarvis, like on Thursday night, led to the game-tying goal.
There was extra hockey in Raleigh, and Philadelphia got the jump during the extra frame.
With just over a minute left, Bobby Brink gathered up a Sanheim rebound to end the game. However, Frederick Andersen was adamant that there was contact. After a review from the situation room in Toronto, goalie interference was called, and the goal was nullified.
Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, and Shayne Gostisbehere were next up for the Canes and were determined to end. The trio moved the puck flawlessly, and Ghost’s dish to Aho from below the dots gave him the space to feed a pass for a Jarvis one-time winner.
Just like on Thursday, Jarvis wins it after a defensive lapse earlier in the game.
The Hurricanes’ transition game was a strong point in the second period. However, throughout the course of the game, the Flyers had 17 scoring chances off the rush, compared to just six by the Canes.
Unfortunately, the power play went 0-4. Brind’Amour made a statement at the start of the fourth opportunity by starting the second unit.
These two areas, combined with rotations and spacing on defensive assignments, will certainly be points of emphasis during practice.
Brind’Amour did not have an update on Jaccob Slavin, who left during the third period with an injury. The team is optimistic that Slavin will be fine for the annual State Fair road trip that kicks off on Tuesday.
03:46 2nd: Logan Stankoven (1); J. Blake (2), A. Nikishin (2)
09:07 2nd: Taylor Hall (2); E. Robinson (1)
18:30 2nd: Jordan Staal (1); J. Martinook (2)
04:43 OT: Seth Jarvis (3); S. Aho (3), S. Gostisbehere (3)
