Regular Season, Game 31: Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets

The calendar turns over, but the mindset remains the same as the Canes take the ice for the first time in 2022. My dislike for games not at 7 pm is well-documented, but that doesn't stop this game from taking place in the early afternoon. The first opponent of the new year is the Columbus Blue 
Jackets. These two met early in the season in with the Canes winning 5-1 after converting on the power play three times against Joonas Korpisalo. Vincent Trocheck scored twice and added an assist while Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Staal also contributed multi-point nights. The Canes shut out Montreal on Thursday night in their return to the ice and Antti Raanta will get the start again this afternoon after stopping all 26 shots. The Blue Jackets also took the ice on Thursday night, coming back to force overtime and then winning the game in a shootout against Nashville. Columbus will send Daniil Tarasov out to face the Canes. While they sit outside of a playoff spot by a few points, this is a skilled Columbus team. I don't think this will be as lopsided as the game earlier in the season. Keep an eye on Sebastian Aho (6-game multi-point streak) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (4-game point streak) to extend their streaks today. 

1st Period

Scoring

(CBJ) 6:54- Zach Werenski (6) (assisted by Jack Roslovic (9) & Emil Bemstrom (1))

(CBJ) 12:30- Adam Boqvist (7) (assisted by Gustav Nyquist (7))

(CBJ) 18:04- Gustav Nyquist (6) SH (assisted by Alexandre Texier (8))

Thoughts

The Canes were the better team for a vast majority of this period, getting the better of the shots, but Colmubus had more opportunities in close and they capitalized on them. The Jackets then took control at the end of the period, scoring short-handed to make it 3-0. The story for me was the work of Daniil Tarasov in the net, stopping several quality chances from the Canes, while the defense of the Jackets got involved in the offense and scored two of the three goals. Andrei Svechnikov was the best forward for the Canes, while both Staal and Kotkaniemi played well too. The defense has looked rough through 20 minutes. There isn't too much to this one so far. Columbus is capitalizing on their chances, while the Canes can't get anything through Tarasov. 

2nd Period

Scoring

(CBJ) 8:39- Alexandre Texier (11) (assisted by Eric Robinson (8))

(CAR) 9:11- Steven Lorentz (4) (assisted by Tony DeAngelo (17) & Derek Stepan (4))

(CAR) 14:05- Brady Skjei (2) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (14) & Seth Jarvis (8))

Thoughts

Rod Brind'Amour opted to lift Raanta in favor of Frederik Andersen to start the second period and the Jackets haven't scored on him yet. Yes, technically they have, but Ian Cole deserves a lot of credit for that as Texier's pass went in off him to make it 4-0. From there, the Canes have made this a game. Lorentz tipped home a pass from DeAngelo and Skjei buried a pass from Svechnikov to make it 4-2. Andersen got some help from the post late in the period to keep it a two-goal game going into the second intermission. I still haven't liked how the defense has played, especially with the number of odd-man opportunities Columbus is getting. Solving Tarasov was the first big step. Now they need to play shutdown defense and find a way to get two more into the net to tie this game up. 

3rd Period

Scoring

(CAR) 6:53- Brady Skjei (3) (assisted by Brett Pesce (8) & Vincent Trocheck (13))

(CAR) 10:34- Nino Niederreiter (10) (assisted by Ian Cole (4) & Frederik Andersen (4))

(CAR) 10:50- Ethan Bear (2) (assisted by Martin Necas (12) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (8))

(CAR) 11:59- Steven Lorentz (5) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (9))

(CAR) 17:30- Andrei Svechnikov (10) (assisted by Vincent Trocheck (14))

Thoughts

What a third period from the Carolina Hurricanes. The defining moment of this game may have happened during the intermission when Daniil Tarasov was ruled out for the game with a lower-body injury and Elvis Merzlikins had to come in. After as well as Tarasov played, that was the momentum change the Canes needed. Skjei scored his second of the game to make it a one-goal game on a laser of a shot. The tying goal from Nino was thanks to a lucky bounce off a stanchion that fooled everyone. Ethan Bear's eventual game-winning goal was a seeing-eye shot that Elvis never saw. The Lorentz goal to put the nail in the coffin was in large part to the fancy play from Seth Jarvis. Then, Svech gets the empty-netter to ice the game away. This was a very weird game, but I'm thrilled with how this third period went and the five spot the Canes put on the board. 

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Brady Skjei (2 Goals, 7 Shots)

His second-career multi-goal game and they were two huge goals given their time in the game. Both goals were wired into the back of the net and helped to give the team some momentum going into the third period and then again to bring the team within one early in the third. He helped break the levy open and kickstarted the comeback effort this afternoon. 

Second Star- Steven Lorentz (2 Goals)

The other of the Canes' two-goal performers, this is a first for his career. He got the scoring started after Columbus made it 4-0 and then was responsible for putting the game away by burying a rebound in the third period. In a game like this, everyone needs to contribute, so seeing a traditional fourth-line player getting two huge goals in a game like this is a true testament to this team's depth. 

First Star- Andrei Svechnikov (Goal, Assist)

The best player on the ice from either team today, there was something in Svechnikov's water bottle from the opening face-off. He put eight shots on net and he was being stymied by Tarasov through two periods. He set up the first Skjei goal and then was rewarded with an empty-netter to make it 7-4. He could've had at least three goals today, but he'll have to settle with the one goal in a big comeback. 

Final Thoughts

This game only reaffirms my dislike of afternoon starts. They are always crazy and take me for a roller coaster ride that I didn't sign up for. Nevertheless, the Canes came out on the better end of this one with seven unanswered goals, five of which came in the third period after trailing 4-0. I only named three stars, but the Canes could've had at least ten stars in this game. 14 of the team's 18 skaters had at least one point and when you consider the four players that didn't were Aho, Turbo, Staal, and Slavin, it makes this win even more incredible. Add on the fact the Andersen recorded a point as well and you have 15 players with a point. Five different players had two points, Lorentz and Skjei both with two goals, Svechnikov with one each, and then Jarvis and Trocheck with two assists each. Obviously, this wasn't the type of start Antti Raanta wanted, but kudos to Frederik Andersen for coming in and shutting the door. My heart goes out to Daniil Tarasov because he deserved better than this after playing two good periods. Aho's point streak comes to an end, but Kotkaniemi kept his alive with an assist in the third period on the game-winner from Bear. This will lead to a long layoff for the team. They were supposed to be in Toronto on Monday, but that game was canceled. The Canes will have to wait until Friday when they host the Calgary Flames in the front-end of a back-to-back with the Panthers coming into town on Saturday. What a comeback win for the Canes to open the new year and get 2022 off to a good start.