The Hurricanes played 60 minutes of excellent hockey in a 5-2 win over the Red Wings.  Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and two assists and Brandon Bussi won for the 12th time in 14 starts.  Carolina dominated the first period in every measurable way other than the scoreboard.  Michael Rasmussen's 5th goal of the season gave Detroit a 1-0 lead as the Canes did everything but score on John Gibson in the 1st.  But Jackson Blake and Eric Robinson scored 1:15 apart in the early part of the 2nd to put the Hurricanes in front to stay.  Gostisbehere would make it 3-1 with a little more than 4 1/2 minutes left in the period and Svechnikov's 10th goal of the season -- and 3rd in as many games -- made it 4-2 with about 7 minutes to play.  Jordan Martinook scored into an empty net for the final margin.  

The Canes finished off a hat trick of blown leads as they closed out the pre-Christmas schedule with a 5-2 loss to the Panthers.  They led 3-0 with 10 minutes to play on Friday night in South Florida before losing in a shootout.  The next night in Tampa they scored 3 times in the 1st period only to give it all back in the 2nd en route to a 6-4 loss to the Lightning.  Tonight, they took a 2-0 lead into the 3rd period only to see the Panthers erase that in 7 minutes.  Florida scored three times in a 3:07 span and with 13 minutes remaining, it was 3-2 and the Canes flatlined.   Frederik Andersen lost his 7th straight start and hasn't allowed fewer than 3 goals since November 1st.  His save percentage is .869, .024 under the league average.  

The Canes scored 3 times in the 1st period, but like the night before in Florida, they could not hold the 3-goal lead.  Pyotr Kochetkov was great over the first two periods, but he wasn't in the 3rd and the Hurricanes weren't good enough to carry him through it like he'd done for them most nights.  

The Canes had a 3-0 lead with 10 minutes to play and a 2-goal advantage with under 2 1/2 minutes left.  But, the Panthers taught Carolina a lesson about playoff hockey in December, rallying with Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart goals to force overtime.  They would eventually win the game in a shootout.  Jordan Staal scored his 10th goal of the season and Sebastian Aho had 2 goals for the second straight game as the Hurricanes built that 3-goal lead.  But, Brad Marchand went into his bag of tricks, whacking Brandon Bussi in the jewels before scoring over top of him for a 3-1 score with just under 10 minutes remaining.  The Hurricanes gave up an astounding 24 high danger chances to the Panthers in the loss.  Bussi did make 38 saves, but his 9 game winning streak came to an end.  

Sebastian Aho had his first 2-goal, 3-point night of the season, Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 25 shots -- 14 in the 3rd period -- and Jaccob Slavin looked like his old self as the Canes beat the Predators, 4-1 in Nashville.  Carolina sweeps the 2-game season series having won the first one earlier this month in Raleigh.  Aho's 10th goal, on the power play, early in the 3rd period doubled the lead to 2-0.  Then he set up Seth Jarvis for his 19th of the year to make it 3-0, before icing the game with an empty net goal with 45 seconds left in the 3rd.  Jackson Blake was stellar again.  He had the game's first goal, in the 1st period, banging home a rebound of Logan Stankoven's shot.  And, Blake also had the primary assist on Aho's power play goal.  The Canes have won 5 straight and lead the Metro by 5 points.

For the third straight game the Hurricanes won in the shootout.  Brandon Bussi was the story -- again.  He's now 11-1-0 on the season.  William Carrier and Taylor Hall each scored goals for the Canes and Andrei Svechnikov recorded the game deciding goal in the shootout.  It's the first time in franchise history that they've won three straight games via the shootout.  

Jackson Blake notched his first career shootout goal, a game-decider, as the Hurricanes beat the Flyers, 4-3.  The Canes spotted Philly a 2-0 lead after 1, but goals by Nikalaj Ehlers and Alexander Nikishin brought Carolina level.  Seth Jarvis' breakaway goal in the 3rd gave them the lead.  Eventually the game went into overtime and then the shootout.  Pyotr Kochetkov would stop all 4 tries including a poke check off the stick of Bobby Brink before Blake's forehand-backhand-forehand move beat Samuel Ersson for the game winner.  Kochetkov is now 5-1-0 on the season and 6-1-0 in his career against the Flyers.

Brandon Bussi did it again! 23 saves plus 3 more in the shootout as the Hurricanes rallied to beat the Capitals, 3-2. Bussi stopped 20 shots in regulation -- including 3 by Alexander Ovechkin -- then three more in overtime as he becomes the first goaltender in NHL history to win 10 of his first 11 starts. He's also won 8 in a row, one shy of the Hurricanes record of 9 straight held by Cam Ward. Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 7th goal of the season, tying the game in the second period. Then the man they call "Fly" set up Logan Stankoven's game-tying goal late in the 3rd to help the Canes get the game into overtime. Seth Jarvis was the only scorer in the shootout as Bussi stopped all three Capitals shooters as the Canes moved back to the top of the division.

Halfway through the game -- an eventual 4-1 win over Columbus -- the Hurricanes looked like an extension of what we saw on Sunday against the Sharks.  But, then Andrei Svechnikov won a battle for the puck in the corner and created a goal for Seth Jarvis.  The rest was a Carolina domination.  Svechnikov would also assist on the Canes power play goal, a net front deflection by Jordan Staal.  Taylor Hall and Eric Robinson combined on a goal that gave them the lead. And, Brondon Bussi stopped 23 shots for his 9th win in 10 career starts.  Now, Rod Brind'Amour has a decision to make about who starts on Thursday in Washington.  

The Canes gave up the first goal, on the first shot, in the first 30 seconds and ended up losing to the Sharks, 4-1.  The loss spoiled the first half of the 2-game celebration of the 2006 Stanley Cup Champions' 20th anniversary.  Carolina did draw even on a Jordan Staal power play goal in the 1st, but that would be it.  Carolina's speed couldn't get inside enough against San Jose and they just didn't generate enough energy to play their type of game.  Pyotr Kochetkov did play well in his first start in three weeks, but he couldn't save his team from a 3rd loss during a 7-game home stand.  They'll take a 3-3-0 record to the finale against Columbus on Tuesday.