The Carolina Hurricanes fell short in their bid to sweep the season series against the Minnesota Wild with a 4-2 loss in St. Paul on Thursday night.
After the Canes took the first showdown between the two teams in Raleigh, Minnesota was able to jump out to an early lead just like it did the first time around.
Defenseman Brock Faber, who paired with Jaccob Slavin for Team USA at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, got the scoring started when a Mats Zuccarello shot caromed off his skate and in.
The Hurricanes
had a chance to equalize with the game’s first power play, but a turnover by Sebastian Aho sprung Matt Boldy in on Frederik Andersen, and Boldy beat him through the five-hole to make it 2-0 after one.
Minnesota native Jackson Blake got the Canes on the board in a second period that Carolina dominated, but one goal was all the visitors could get in the second stanza as they went to the third period tied.
After his earlier assist, Zuccarello made the Hurricanes pay just 15 seconds into the third period on a breakaway to re-extend his team’s lead right back to two goals. Carolina’s first line responded about five minutes later when Seth Jarvis gained the zone and left the puck for Andrei Svechnikov, who promptly fed Sebastian Aho streaking down the left wing to make it a one-goal game again.
Despite getting held off the scoresheet for a a while longer by Minnesota goalie Jesper Wallstedt, the Canes kept pushing. With Andersen vacating the net for the extra skater, Blake worked a shot through Wallstedt off a perfect cross-ice feed from Nikolaj Ehlers to force overtime.
The Hurricanes started Jordan Staal in overtime again, and unlike last time around against Edmonton, he won the draw to allow the Hurricanes to start the 3-on-3 period with the puck.
The Canes trapped Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson-Ek on the ice for more than two minutes to start overtime, but they couldn’t capitalize. Blake had a bid for a hat trick on a breakaway with just under. minute left, but a strong back check allowed Wallstedt to make a save that forced a shootout.
Zuccarello started the skills competition and was stopped by Andersen before Wallstedt denied a slick move by Jarvis. Kaprizov was up next in the two-spot for Minnesota, and he too couldn’t beat Andersen with a shot. His fellow Russian Svechnikov got the next bid for the Canes, and Wallstedt flashed the glove in impressive fashion to keep it scoreless.
Boldy beat Andersen in the third round to put Carolina and Taylor Hall in a do-or-die position, and Wallstedt came up with the save to seal the win for his team.
The result put the Hurricanes alone in first place in the Metropolitan Division by points with the Devils off Wednesday.
Carolina is now halfway through a four-game road trip. The Canes will be right back at it again on Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
