2023-24 Regular Season, Game 1: Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators (Postgame)

Hockey returned to Raleigh on Wednesday night as the Hurricanes and the Ottawa Senators played their first games of the 2023-24 season. The excitement surrounding the game was immense for myself and the fanbase. With all the expectations placed on the Hurricanes this season, this was our first look at the new and improved team. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

OTT (3:14)- Mathieu Joseph (1) (assisted by Artem Zub (1) & Parker Kelly (1))

2nd Period

CAR (2:55)- Michael Bunting (1) PP (assisted by Sebastian Aho (1) & Tony DeAngelo (1)

CAR (17:57)- Teuvo Teravainen (1) (assisted by Martin Necas (1) & Brady Skjei (1))

3rd Period

CAR (0:20)- Jordan Staal (1) (assisted by Jordan Martinook (1))

OTT (5:14)- Parker Kelly (1) SH (Mathieu Joseph (1))

OTT (5:49)- Tim Stutzle (1) (unassisted)

CAR (7:51)- Brady Skjei (1) (assisted by Jesper Fast (1) & Jordan Staal (1))

CAR (11:05)- Jaccob Slavin (1) SH (assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1) & Seth Jarvis (1))

My Thoughts

Throughout the broadcast, Tripp Tracy alluded to last season's opening game against Columbus a few times. While the physicality wasn't the same, I see where he was coming from. Carolina came out flat in the first period against the Blue Jackets and allowed the first goal of the game before turning it around with four straight goals to win. Tonight was like that, to an extent. The Canes found themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 game after the first period, with the Staal line and Frederik Andersen carrying the lion's share of the load. The chances were there for the Hurricanes, including a penalty shot for Jesper Fast that was denied by Joonas Korpisalo. Still, the only marker was a deflected goal by Mathieu Joseph early in the contest. 

The second period was much better. Michael Bunting found himself alone at the front of the net on the power play, holding the puck for a second longer than Korpisalo was willing to wait, sliding it home to get the Canes on the board. Andersen's handy work continued to keep the game tight. One of his best saves of the night came on an early penalty kill where he was down and out, but he stuck his pad out to deny a scoring chance and keep it tied. The Canes dominated the second period in every aspect. It wasn't until late in the period that the hard work paid off. Teuvo Teravaine began his bounce-back campaign by burying a one-timer from Martin Necas under the pad of Korpisalo in the final minutes of the period to give the Canes their first lead of the night. It was precisely what the team needed as they were finally rewarded for their efforts. 

The good feelings held firm to begin the third period as Jordan Staal buried a backhander over the shoulder of Korpisalo 20 seconds into the period to make it 3-1. After the goal, the Canes took their foot off the gas. Dmitry Orlov, making his team debut, had his shot blocked during a power play and was forced to defend a 2-on-1. He showed his cards too early, trying to defend the pass. Unfortunately, his stick was on the wrong side, allowing Joseph's pass to find Parker Kelly for an easy short-handed goal. Tim Stutzle added to the pain by moving quickly into the zone and snapping a shot over Andersen's shoulder 35 seconds later to tie the game. I'm not convinced Andersen wasn't still thinking about the Kelly goal because that's a shot he needs to stop. It was the wake-up call the Hurricanes needed. This is where the Staal line re-entered the chat. Jordan Martinook began the play by picking Stutzle's pocket, and Brady Skjei ended it by handcuffing Korpisalo with a blast that hit the iron to regain the lead. Then, they returned the favor for the short-handed goal as Jaccob Slavin snapped a shot beautifully over Korpisalo to make it a two-goal game again. The lead would stick this time. Despite a solid effort from the Senators to get back in it, Andersen and the defense held their ground, icing a 5-3 win to start the season right. 

It wasn't the prettiest victory, but it still counts for two points. Everyone got their moment to shine. Andersen played two of the best periods he's played as a Hurricanes. Nine of the 11 forwards found the scoresheet, led by two points from the captain. The defense scored twice, with Skjei picking up two points. The Canes won the special teams battle, scoring on the power play, and while short-handed. The power play still has work to do, looking sluggish in the third period. I'm willing to overlook some of tonight's shortcomings as symptoms of this being the first game. I've long been a proponent of two points being two points, no matter how they're earned. An ugly win counts the same as a shutout. In the Eastern Conference, I'd rather have many ugly wins than pretty losses. The season started on the right foot. Let's be appreciative of that. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Brady Skjei- 1 goal, 1 assist

There are a lot of guys who could've ended up among the Top 3 tonight, but Skjei will occupy the third spot. Recording two points in the opener, Skjei played a part in Teravainen's goal to give them the lead late in the second period, then scored the game-winner in the third. 

2nd Star- Seth Jarvis- 1 assist, 7 hits

The top line for the Canes showed excellent chemistry tonight, and they all recorded a point. Jarvis was a significant force, recording seven hits and four shots while picking up a secondary assist on the late short-handed goal after a hit that allowed the play to begin. 

1st Star- Jordan Staal- 1 goal, 1 assist

When your line is the best on the ice for the entire game, someone has to be among the three stars. The captain started the season right with a goal and an assist in the third period to help get the team in the win column. He set the standard for the rest of the team to follow. 

Next Up

As the State Fair rolls into town, the Hurricanes are taking their talents to California to begin a six-game road trip. They'll make stops in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Seattle, and Colorado before heading east to finish the trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The road trip begins on Saturday against the Kings. We're in for some long nights over the next week.