Canes Corner

The Hurricanes scored twice in the first 7 minutes, but couldn't build on the lead and ultimately fell to the Canadiens, 5-2, in Montreal.  Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal scored about 4 1/2 minutes apart in the 1st period as the Canes jumped out to a 2-0 lead.  But Oliver Kapanen's high slot deflection bounced through Frederik Andersen to cut the lead in half and the Canadiens scored the next four goals for the win.  It was one of those games where you don't play as poorly as the score indicates, but a loss is a loss and the Hurricanes will have to sit on this until they play at home against the Devils on Saturday.

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Alexander Nikishin's first NHL overtime goal gave the Canes a 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs.  The Canes did not score a 5-on-5 goal in the win.  Jordan Staal scored on the power play -- deflecting home a Seth Jarvis shot; Eric Robinson converted a penalty shot; and, K'Andre Miller scored a shorthanded goal -- all in the 2nd period.  Brandon Bussi snapped a personal 3-game losing streak with 23 saves in the win.  The Canes lead the Penguins by 10 points in the division race.

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Sean Walker's overtime goal sent the Canes to a 6-5 win over the Penguins, pushing Carolina to an 8-point lead in the Metropolitan Division.  Walker's 7th goal of the season with about a half minute left in OT moved the Hurricanes to a 2-point lead over the Sabres in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. It was a nice, normal game through two periods, with Carolina ahead, 2-1.  But, the Penguins scored 4 times and actually had their first lead after Ben Kindle scored to make it 5-4 with just under 5 minutes to play.  K'Andre Miller's pass in front of a crowded net caromed off of Pittsburgh defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and past Stuart Skinner to tie the game and set up Walker's OT heroics.  

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The Hurricanes gave up a pair of power play goals in the 1st period and never really got going in a 5-1 loss to Columbus.  Andrei Svechnikov scored a 4-on-4 goal in the 2nd to cut the lead in half.  But, when Danton Heinen scored after his collision with Brandon Bussi behind the net left the Hurricanes goalie sprawled on the ice to make it 3-1 the Canes never recovered.  Should that collision have resulted in a Columbus penalty?  Would it have mattered anyway?  Nicolas Deslauriers made his debut as a Hurricane and got into a fight, so there's that.

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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.