Canes Corner

The Hurricanes let a 3-2 second period lead fall by the wayside in a 4-3 loss in Buffalo.  It was the 2nd straight loss for the Hurricanes but they managed to hang onto sole possession of 1st place in the east thanks to Boston's 2-1 win over the Devils.  The Canes have a 1-point lead with 3 games to play and will take on the Senators in Ottawa on Monday.  Seth Jarvis, Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho each scored in the loss.  It was Aho's 35th of the season, Fast's 9th and Jarvis' 14th and first in 22 games.  It was the first regulation loss for Antti Raanta since November 12.

The Canes gave up a shorthanded goal on an early power play and then Frederik Andersen's right skate scored on himself as the Canes fell in Nashville 3-0. The Hurricanes put 32 shots on Jusi Saros, but could not dent the scoresheet. Carolina's lead in the Metro is down to one point after the Devils win over  Columbus. Next up is a Saturday matinee in Buffalo at 12:30p.

The Carolina Hurrricanes got the 4th overtime game winning goal of the season and beat the Ottawa Senators, 3-2, at PNC Arena Tuesday night.  The win was Carolina's 3rd in a row and helped them maintain their 3-point lead over the New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division.  Jersey defeated Pittsburgh at home on Tuesday as well.  After goals from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brady Skjei staked the Canes to a 2-0 lead after the first period the Senators really assumed control of the game.  Claude Giroux scored midway through the 2nd period to halve the lead and Brady Tkachuk followed in the 3rd with a power play goal and Carolina was just trying to survive into overtime.  And, in the OT is where Necas does his best work.  His 4 OT GWG's are best in the NHL.  Antti Raanta made 26 saves for the win and is now 15-0-2 in his last 19 appearances.  He's not lost in regulation since November 12 at Colorado.  The Canes next play Thursday night in Nashville.

Jordan Martinook's first goal in more than two months gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 lead early in the 3rd period and then Frederik Andersen and company did the rest as the Canes held on for the win.  Coupled with the Devils loss in Winnipeg Carolina's lead in the Metropolitan Division is now 3 points with 6 games left to play.  Martinook's goal was his 12th of the season and his first since a February 1st win in Buffalo.  Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored for the Hurricanes, his 15th on the season and first in 10 games.  Kotkaniemi's goal evened the score midway through the 2nd period.  On the play, Jesse Puljujarvi registered his first point as a Hurricanes player, getting the primary assist on the game-tying goal.  Andersen made 21 saves for his first win in 4 starts.  The Canes are off on Monday and will host Ottawa on Tuesday night at PNC Arena.

Antti Raanta made 14 saves in his first appearance in three and a half weeks as the Hurricanes shut out the Canadiens, 3-0, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.  Brady Skjei, Paul Stastny and Sebastian Aho each scored as the Canes snapped a 3-game losing streak.  For Skjei, his 17th goal of the season set a franchise record for most team goals in a season from the blue line.  Carolina now has 52 goals from defensemen this year with 7 games left to play.  Aho's 34th came on the power play and closed out the scoring.  The Hurricanes were 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.  They maintain a 1-point lead on the New Jersey Devils heading into Sunday's home game with the New York Islanders.

Jake Walman scored with less than 4 seconds left in the 3rd period sending the Hurricanes to their 3rd straight loss.  Carolina's lead in the Metropolitan Division is down to 1 as the Devils defeated the Rangers, 2-1.  Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin scored 3:36 apart early in the second period to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.  But, just 3 minutes later, with Martin Necas in the penalty box for hooking, Dylan Larkin scored on the power play to bring the game even. The Canes were 0 for 3 on their own power play.  Carolina will play at Montreal Saturday night.

The Hurricanes were shut out at home by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, on Tuesday night as they failed to extend their Metropolitan Division lead over the idle New Jersey Devils.  The Canes continue to have a 3-point cushion atop the division with 9 games to play in the regular season.  Brayden Point scored twice and Steven Stamkos added his 21st career goal against Carolina as the Bolts snapped a 4-game losing streak.  Pyotr Kochetkov didn't play nearly as well as he did in Saturday's win over Toronto, stopping 18 of 21 shots he faced.  The Hurricanes will next play on Thursday night in Detroit.

It was the proverbial mixed bag for the Hurricanes in their 4-3 shootout loss to the Bruins at PNC Arena.  Freddie Andersen made a boatload of excellent saves in the game, including back to back robberies of Tyler Bertuzzi and David Krejci late in the3 3rd period.  However, all three goals he allowed could be put in the "soft" file.  But, the Canes got a point anyway thanks to early 3rd period goals from Brady Skjei (16th) and Sebastian Aho (33rd).  What it means is that the Hurricanes have a 3-point lead in the Metropolitan Divisioin over the New Jersey Devils with a game in hand.  Jersey plays at the Islanders tomorrow night and the Hurricanes will next skate here in Raleigh against Tampa Bay on Tuesday

More than anything, the Hurricanes have needed a game in which their goaltender stole a win.  For as many times as it's seemed to happen to them, the Canes haven't had too many nights where they got the game take to them only to have the goelie stand on his head and win the night.  At PNC Arena, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pyotr Kochetkov did just that.  41 saves for his 12th win of the season and one of his best performances in the NHL was enough to get the Canes to the finish line with 2 points in hand.  Speaking of the "Finnish" line, Sebastian Aho's goal with less than 3 minutes to play proved to be the game-winne.  And, it turned a night in which his line was largely ineffective against Toronto.  Brent Burns, Jordan Staal, Stefan Noese and Teuvo Teravainen also scored in the win as the Canes raised their point total to 102 on the year.  That's two more than the New Jersey Devils who were home winners over the Senators on Saturday.  Carolina will host Boston at 5:00 pm on Sunday.

Carolina scored three times in the 3rd period and beat the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, 3-2.  The Canes twice rallied from a 1-goal deficit, the second time coming just 18 seconds after falling behind 2-1.  Stefan Noesen's first goal in 16 games brought Carolina even at 2 and set the stage for Teuvo Teravainen's 11th of the season.  Jalen Chatfield also scored for Carolina, his 6th of the year and his 2nd in as many games at MSG.  The Canes lead the Metropolitan Division by 2 points after the Devils lost in overtime, 2-1, at home to the Wild.  Carolina reaches 100 points for just third time in franchise history.  And, they do so with 13 games still to play.  They'll meet the Rangers on Thursday at PNC Arena.