The Canes scored twice in the 3rd period and Frederik Andersen won his 3rd straight as Carolina beat Tampa Bay, 4-2.  Saturday night was the third and final game of the season series with the Bolts, and the victory gives the Hurricanes a 2-1-0 record against the Lightning and they also have a 6-point lead over them for home ice advantage should they meet at any time in the playoffs.  Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho each had a goal and an assist.  Jordan Martinook's 9th goal of the season snapped a 2-2 tie midway through the 3rd.  And Logan Stankoven scored into an empty net as the Canes maintained a 9-point lead in the Metro over the Penguins and Islanders who each won as well.

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The Hurricanes lost to St Louis, 3-1, at Lenovo Center on Thursday night.  Carolina wasted a dominant first period in which they could have scored 3 or 4 times but only saw Mark Jankowski find the back of the net.  Jordan Binnington made a dozen saves in the first period as the Canes piled up 8 Grade A scoring chances but it didn't translate to the scoreboard.  Brandon Bussi made 15 saves but has now lost consecutive starts for the first time in his career.  The loss means the Hurricanes remain 9 points ahead of the Penguins and Islanders in the Metro and 2 ahead of the Sabres for the Eastern Conference's overall top seed.  

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The Canes beat the Penguins, 5-4, in a shootout in a game that featured 10 total power plays, 71 shots on goal, 2 6-on-5 goals and a failed 2-on-none.  The Penguins leave town with their 15th overtime/shootout loss of the season and the Hurricanes opened up a 9-point lead in the Metropolitan Division.  Frederik Andersen is now 5-1-3 in his last 9 starts -- 3-1-0 since returning from the Olympic break.  

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Carolina closed out the 4-game road trip with a 5-4 loss in Calgary.  Brandon Bussi's 9-game losing streak -- actually, his second 9-game slide -- came to an end.  Bussi's puck management struggles continued as he gave the puck away for the 1st and 4th goals.  Seth Jarvis, Sean Walker, Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov each scored in the loss. 

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The trade deadline came and went without Carolina making the big splash so many wanted to see.  Then the Canes went out and drowned the Oilers with their defense.  Jaccob Slavin gave Connor McDavid 4 Nations Faceoff flashbacks, putting in a 25 1/2 minute masterclass of a defensive shift on the greatest player in the world.  McDavid had an assist on the opening goal, but he was very much held in check.  Slavin, paired with Jalen Chatfield handled him most of the time.  K'Andre Miller and Sean Walker were also great against him.  We'll talk about Nikolaj Ehlers and the fit with the Captains and dig into the trade deadline.  

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Nikolaj Ehlers registered his second hat trick of the season, while Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho each had a goal and an assist, as the Hurricanes beat the Canucks, 6-4.  Aho's 2nd period goal gave him 60 points on the season, making him just the 8th Finnish-born player in NHL history to have amassed 8 60-point seasons.  Jari Kurri, Teemu Selanne and Mikko Rantanen are the other 3.  Brandon Bussi allowed 4 goals on 22 shots, but he keeps winning.  The Bus has 25 wins in his first 29 starts and is on an 8-game winning streak.  However, he has a .829 SV% in his last 6 starts -- which all happen to be victories.

The Hurricanes saw their 5-game winning streak come to an end as they fell to the Seattle Kraken, 2-1.  The Kraken scored both of their goals in the 1st half of the second period as a couple of breakdowns led to grade A scoring chances.  Nikolaj Ehlers got the Canes on the board late in the 2nd period, pouncing on a loose puck and ringing the bell for the 16th time this season to make it a 1-goal game heading into the 3rd.  But, Carolina just couldn't generate enough from their 36 shots on goal and 83 (!!!) total shot attempts and the game fizzled out at the end.  Frederik Andersen started his second consecutive game for the first time since before Thanksgiving, but wasn't able to stack back-to-back strong performances in losing.  It snaps his personal 6-game point streak.

The Carolina Hurricanes took down the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2, as Taylor Hall and Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and two assists and Frederik Andersen made 27 saves.  It was the 5th straight win for the Canes -- which ties a season high.  Carolina is also on a 12-game point streak (10-0-2) and, as a result, moved ahead of Tampa Bay into the top spot in the East with 82 points.  Andersen is 3-0-3 in his last 6 starts, Jackson Blake added a goal and an assist and Sebastian Aho's power play goal gave him 5 goals in his last 6 games.

The Hurricanes got off to a flying start, lost a 3-goal lead, but buttoned up the 3rd period in a 5-4 win over the Lightning.  It starts the final 25 game stretch on a great note for Carolina, who maintains their 8-point lead over Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division.  The Logan Stankoven line was on fire in the first period, scoring twice and tying the Lightning in knots.  But, Carolina was a bit of a defensive mess -- and if we're being honest, a bit fortunate to not be trailing in the game -- and it wasn't until Sebastian Aho's 3rd period power play goal that they assumed control over the game.  Jaccob Slavin and K'Andre Miller were stellar in the 3rd period and Brandon Bussi saved his best for the 3rd as the Canes pull even with the Bolts on 80 points for the East's top seed.  It was Bussi's 24th win of the season.

The Canes and goaltender Brandon Bussi agree on a 3-year contract extension.  We discuss that, the roster work still to do before the trade deadline and the incredible Olympic hockey quarterfinals.  Oh, and I also spent about 15 minutes on the phone with The Bus himself.  Enjoy!