2022-23 Regular Season, Game 1: Hurricanes v. Columbus Blue Jackets

It's a new year for the Carolina Hurricanes and that means everything starts at zero. Everything resets and the memories of last season are stored away as they look to make new ones over the next several months. Only the first 82 games are guaranteed as the Canes aim for their fifth straight postseason appearance. Last season was certainly one to remember for the franchise, setting team records in wins and points, but it ended a lot sooner than anticipated with a loss to the New York Rangers in the second round. It's all behind them though and this year's version of the Carolina Hurricanes looks a little different. 

Projected Lines/Pairings 

Teuvo Teravainen-Sebastian Aho-Seth Jarvis

Andrei Svechnikov-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Martin Necas

Paul Statsny-Jordan Staal-Jesper Fast

Jordan Martinook-Derek Stepan-Ondrej Kase

Jaccob Slavin-Brent Burns

Brady Skjei-Brett Pesce

Calvin De Haan-Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen

Antti Raanta

Extras- Stefan Noesen, Ethan Bear, Dylan Coghlan

Tonight's lineup features three players making their team debut as Brent Burns, Paul Stastny, and Ondrej Kase get acclimated to the fans. The biggest surprise for me is the third pairing on defense, De Haan and Chatfield. The Canes had eight defensemen listed on their Opening Night roster and I felt strongly that Coghlan would get a spot after the way he played on the power play in the preseason. I'm sure we'll see him at some point in the next few games. This lineup also presents a huge opportunity for both Kotkaniemi and Necas. There are high expectations on both players this season, so this is their chance to prove they're ready for big minutes. In the crease tonight is Frederik Andersen, to the surprise of no one. Coming off a 4th place finish in Vezina voting and an injury that kept him out of the playoffs, Andersen looks primed to run it back and lead the Canes once again. 

Tonight's Opponent: Columbus Blue Jackets (37-38-7, 81 points, 6th in Metro in 2021-22)

The Canes' first opponent of the season is a division opponent that went through its fair share of struggles last season. A lot of it was due to inconsistencies from their goalies and defensive struggles that placed them toward the bottom of the league. Still, the Blue Jackets managed to play just around .500 as they fell behind the playoff teams in the Metropolitan Divison by a wide margin. They looked primed to get a full season of Patrik Laine, but a knee injury sidelined him early in the season as he was limited to 56 games. He was still very good in those 56 games, scoring 26 goals and tallying 56 points to be a point-per-game player. The team made a lot of changes in the offseason as they landed the top free agent in the class, Johnny Gaudreau. With the Flames, Gaudreau finished tied for second in the league with 115 points and he was given a handsome contract to join the Blue Jackets. This did come at the expense of their top goal scorer, Oliver Bjorkstrand, who was traded to Seattle. 

Last Season v. Carolina: The Hurricanes won three of the four meetings, all of which were decided by three or more goals. Aided by goals on the power play and a two-goal night from Vincent Trocheck the Canes won 5-1 on October 23 as part of the Canes'perfect October. The next meeting wouldn't come until New Year's Day and it was a wild one. Columbus hit Antti Raanta hard in the first period for three goals and added a fourth on Frederik Andersen early in the second. The Canes would score seven unanswered goals over the final 30:49 of the game, including two each from Steven Lorentz and Brady Skjei, to win the game 7-4. The Blue Jackets got their revenge 12 days later, decimating the Canes 6-0 in Raleigh. This game was notable for the debut of Jack LaFontaine as he allowed two goals on three shots. The final meeting in late February was the Canes' chance to get the shutout as Frederik Andersen stopped all 19 shots he faced as the Canes outshot Columbus 50-19. 

Columbus' Starting Goalie: Daniil Tarasov- Though many likely expected Elvis Merzlikins to get the nod, he's been ruled out tonight with an illness. This means we'll see his backup, Daniil Tarasov, tonight. Tarasov started against the Canes on New Year's Day and played spectacularly through two periods, stopping 31 of 33 shots. He left that game with an injury in the third period and that helped to spark the comeback for the Canes. It would be his last game in the NHL last season. He finished the year winless in four appearances but posted a .937 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average. 

Columbus Player to Watch: Johnny Gaudreau- With this being his first game in Columbus, he's going to be one we all pay attention to. No matter who wins, we'll talk about how weird it is to see him in a Columbus sweater. After playing on one of the best lines in the league, I'm curious how he gels with his new team. He's projected to start on the left wing with Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine, so they will be a line worth watching as this game gets underway.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

(CBJ) 0:11- Patrik Laine (1) (assisted by Zach Werenski (1))

(CAR) 5:12- Seth Jarvis (1) (unassisted)

(CAR) 18:30- Brady Skjei (1) (assisted by Martin Necas (1) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1))

3rd Period

(CAR) 6:29- Martin Necas (1) (assisted by Derek Stepan (1) & Jordan Martinook (1))

(CAR) 9:18- Andrei Svechnikov (1) (assisted by Martin Necas (2) & Paul Stastny (1))

Let's Talk About the Game

With this first game, this team has already established that they are a special group. It started slowly, which is to be expected for the season opener. It had "new-born giraffe learning to walk" energy as both teams tried to get their legs under them and figure out what to do again. It'd been even longer for Columbus since they missed the playoffs. The Blue Jackets played a stout defensive first period to start. The Canes were attempting a lot of board-to-board passes that weren't finding their way through the legs of the defense, breaking up some excellent chances. The other thing the Canes quickly established it that this team is going to be shooting a lot from the point. Calvin de Haan and Jalen Chatfield were especially active from the outset. The period would end scoreless but there were plenty of chances to break the ice. 

The score wouldn't remain scoreless for long as Zach Werenski pinched at the right time and fed Patrik Laine, who beat Frederik Andersen clean over his blocker 11 seconds into the period to take the 1-0 lead. It was a smart play from a great defender and Laine isn't the guy you want wide-open with a good shooting angle. Columbus looked to keep that edge at the onset of the period and if not for some excellent stops from Andersen on Laine and Jenner, it could've gotten out of hand quickly. Instead, the score remained 1-0, and about five minutes after Laine's goal, some pressure behind the net from Sebastian Aho led to a turnover that ended up on the stick of Seth Jarvis. He made a move to the front, backhanded the puck off the far post, and past Daniil Tarasov to tie the game and get the first of the season for the Hurricanes. The league's best penalty kill a year ago, the Canes would then have to turn their efforts to killing their first penalty of the season as Brett Pesce was called for interference. They looked like they hadn't missed a beat, but with seven seconds left in the kill, Cole Sillinger wired a shot past Andersen to give Columbus a 2-1 lead. Or did he? Rod Brind'Amour, aided by the video team, challenged the play successfully as it was determined that Sillinger entered the zone without having control of the puck. They'd kill the rest of the penalty then de Haan was called for tripping Johnny Gaudreau. The kill would get the job done again with relative ease. From there, it would be all Carolina.

The power play would get its first chance almost immediately after the second kill and while it didn't score, it really showed that Brent Burns is going to be so much fun to watch as the quarterback. While unsuccessful, momentum would remain in the Canes' favor, and after Andersen made an amazing save from his stomach, Brady Skjei would clap one from the point past Tarasov to give the Canes their first lead of the season with 1:30 left in the period. The third period would be "vintage Carolina" as the defense would play stout for 20 minutes. Outside of an ill-advised pass from Andersen that forced him to make a recovery save, the Blue Jackets didn't generate much. On the other side of the ice, Necas would deposit a loose puck past Tarasov and just about three minutes later, Andrei Svechnikov scored from a weird angle to move the Canes' advantage to three. Even with this big lead, they didn't let off the gas. They outshot the Blue Jackets 20-8 in the third and probably could've scored six or seven if not for Tarasov. The time would wind down and the Hurricanes would secure the first of hopefully many wins. 

This was a full team effort for the Canes tonight. All four lines and all three defensive pairs had their chances to score tonight. All but three players recorded at least one shot and eight different players finished with a point. The effort was led by Martin Necas with three points. After an offseason that left many asking if he'd still be with the team, this is a huge season for Necas. Three points in the opener is a good way to set the pace. As I said, all four lines were very good. The top line scored the first goal. The second line either scored or created the final three goals. Jordan Staal had a few decent chances for the third line. Paul Stastny recorded an assist in his debut. The fourth line was all over the ice and helped start Necas' goal. Burns led the team with six shots in his debut. There were very few players that didn't make an impact. I really liked Chatfield and de Haan together. Chatfield brings an edge with him and isn't afraid to let it rip. Behind it all, Frederik Andersen looked like he hadn't missed a beat. It's been months since he played in a game and he kept the Canes in it after they fell behind. The fans showed him tons of love all night as he looks to replicate his Vezina-worthy season. 

My Three Stars of the Night

Third Star- Seth Jarvis (Goal, 4 Shots)

This really could've gone to a lot of guys, but I've picked Jarvis for what I think was a complete game. To go along with his goal and four shots, Jarvis had two hits, a blocked shot, and just felt like he was all over the ice all night. A lot of emphasis is put on second-year players and the "sophomore slump", but Jarvis started well in his second year. 

Second Star- Frederik Andersen (31 Saves on 32 Shots)

The star netminder was back to his winning ways tonight, stopping just about everything in his sight. He was beaten twice to the blocker side, though only one counted, and made numerous stops from point-blank range to prevent any further damage once Laine scored. If there is anything still lingering from his injury, you couldn't tell tonight. 

First Star- Martin Necas (Goal, 2 Assists)

I've already highlighted the importance of this season for Necas. He was given a two-year, $6 million deal with trade rumors swirling and he's been rewarded with a higher spot in the lineup. Now he has to maintain this level of play, though three points each night isn't sustainable for a full season. He was the star of the show tonight and it was a good sight to see. 

What's Next

The time at home was very short-lived as the Canes head on the road as the NC State Fair rolls into town. They'll head to the west coast for a five-game trip that begins on Friday night against the San Jose Sharks. It'll be an early homecoming for Burns as he's sure to get a huge response from the Sharks' fans. The trip will also roll through Seattle, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver over the 11-day swing. The first two stops on this trip are very winnable before you get into three tough Canadian teams. A 2-0 start will be paramount for the Canes to build positive momentum into their trip to Canada. I'm sure at some point during this trip will see Dylan Coghlan, Ethan Bear, Antti Raanta, and probably Stefan Noesen get their first action this season. It was clear from the first Storm Surge of the season that this team is already very close, so this road trip is going to likely be just as much fun. All I know is my sleep schedule is about to be ruined. This was an excellent start that I have no doubt the Canes will build off.