2023-24 Regular Season, Game 4: Hurricanes at San Jose Sharks (Postgame)

After suffering their first loss of the season in Anaheim, the Carolina Hurricanes needed to rebound. Unfortunately, they'd have to do it without Sebastian Aho. Shortly before puck drop, the team announced that Aho wouldn't play in the game due to an upper-body injury. This meant the team would roll an 11/7 lineup like on Opening Night. The Sharks are a rebuilding team, but the Canes have struggled against non-playoff teams. Without their superstar, this could be a challenging game. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

SJ (3:15)- Fabian Zetterlund (1) (assisted by Tomas Hertl (1))

CAR (4:06)- Seth Jarvis (1) PP (assisted by Michael Bunting (2) & Teuvo Teravainen (1))

2nd Period

CAR (8:04)- Jaccob Slavin (2) SH (unassisted)

SJ (9:11)- Filip Zadina (2) PP (assisted by Fabian Zetterlund (1))

SJ (16:06)- William Eklund (1) PP (assisted by Henry Thrun (2) & Tomas Hertl (2))

3rd Period

CAR (9:07)- Stefan Noesen (1) PP (assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2) & Brady Skjei (4))

CAR (11:51)- Seth Jarvis (2) PP (assisted by Martin Necas (2) & Brent Burns (2))

CAR (14:53)- Martin Necas (2) (assisted by Michael Bunting (3) & Brady Skjei (5))

CAR (15:08)- Brett Pesce (1) (assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3) & Stefan Noesen (1))

My Thoughts

This almost went very differently. This was nearly the quintessential Carolina Hurricanes viewing experience. They grossly outplayed the Sharks for 60 minutes, outshooting them by an unbelievable margin. However, they trailed 3-2 after 40 minutes and needed a four-goal explosion in the third period to win. That being said, they won, and that's good. After that Los Angeles game, I said that it doesn't matter how they win as long as they win. 

The Canes got the first few shots of the night, but San Jose scored on their first shot, courtesy of Fabian Zetterlund. The power play responded quickly as Seth Jarvis picked up his first goal of the season on a rebound. Getting Jarvis going tonight was encouraging, especially without Aho in the lineup. He's looked great to start the season. He just hasn't been getting the results. The game took a very unexpected turn on San Jose's first power play. Frederik Andersen didn't see the shot from the point, and it hit him right between the eyes. The shot knocked him backward, stunning him as he was slow to get back to his feet. The whistle blew immediately, and the training staff came out to take a look. Andersen was taken off the ice for further evaluation, making way for Antti Raanta to take over the net. Raanta helped kill the penalty, then didn't do much for the rest of the period. The Canes outshot the Sharks 18-5 through the first period, but the score remained 1-1. 

Officiating has been a big talking point early in the year, with penalty calls coming fast and furiously. In the second period, the Canes and Sharks played 5-on-5 for less than seven minutes. All three goals were scored on special teams, with the Hurricanes on the penalty kill. Jaccob Slavin got it going while short-handed. His initial chance on the breakaway was stopped, but Slavin stuck with the play to put the rebound home. During the same penalty, Filip Zadina clapped a shot past Antti Raanta to immediately tie the game. Near the end of the period, William Eklund was able to corral a puck off the end boards, then beat Raanta to the post to put the puck into the net. The Hurricanes challenged for goalie interference because Eklund's skate made contact with Raanta's pads, but I knew they would lose the challenge almost immediately. They managed to make it out of the period down by a goal, despite a wide margin in shots, and generally dominating the play. 

At the end of the second period, Tony DeAngelo was given a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for barking at an official. Before the call, DeAngelo came down from the point to try and play the puck in the corner, but the official took him out of the play. In that position, I'd be upset, too, and I would like to think the official recognized that. DeAngelo must've said the magic words to get his two minutes. I'd like to know what was said. Otherwise, this looks like an upset referee not liking a player for telling him to get out of the way. DeAngelo continued the conversation after the period, earning an additional ten minutes to serve for the first half of the third. 

The third period was the Hurricanes finally getting rewarded for all of the big stops Blackwood had made. Raanta was doing his part, denying Mario Ferraro a chance that could've seized the momentum for San Jose. The power play stole the show for the Canes in the third. First, the Canes converged at the net, forming a tight triangle in front of Blackwood. This allowed Stefan Noesen to receive the puck at the top of the crease, where he found a little daylight under Blackwood's arm to tie the game. Next, Seth Jarvis loaded up for a shot from the bumper position and blasted it past Blackwood to give the Canes the lead again. Martin Necas joined the fun, scoring a beautiful wrap-around goal that displayed shades of the Nashville series in 2021. Brett Pesce rounded out the scoring 15 seconds later, getting help from the defense as his shot redirected off a Shark and into the net. When it was all said and done, the Hurricanes emerged victorious with a 6-3 decision. 

If there's one thing this team hasn't needed to worry about through four games, it's scoring. Ten players have at least three points. 13 have scored at least one goal. 17 players have found the scoresheet. Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen have a point in every game this season. Seth Jarvis came alive offensively. Martin Necas is starting to regain his touch after a career season. Jesperi Kotkaniemi stepped up and played well. The defense continues to jump into the play offensively. The only area the team has struggled to begin the season is in the net. As great Andersen and Raanta have been the last two years, we haven't held an opponent under three goals this season. Winning is great, no matter the cost, but it's unrealistic to expect the offense to score four or five goals every night and ensure long-term success. 

The health of Sebastian Aho and Frederik Andersen is more important than any win. The story seems to be that Aho tweaked something at the end of the Anaheim game, and while he participated in the team's morning skate, he didn't feel 100%, so the team held him out. For Andersen, the move to stick with Raanta appears to be strictly precautionary. Head injuries are no joke, and when you have two excellent goalies who you trust, the decision is even easier. The attitude is that neither injury is considered long-term, so that's about as good as it gets. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Jesperi Kotkaniemi- 2 assists

Several players had their best nights of the young season, and Kotkaniemi is certainly near the top of that list. Both of his assists were primaries in the third period. He was the player on the goalline feeding Noesen the puck for his goal, then nearly scored at the end of the period, before Pesce got his rebound. 

2nd Star- Martin Necas- 1 goal, 1 assist

It's awesome watching Necas when he starts to pick up speed because he makes almost everyone else look like they're moving in slow motion. That's what his wrap-around goal looked like. Bunting just gave him the puck and told him to have fun. He also scored both points in the third, setting up the game-winner from Jarvis. 

1st Star- Seth Jarvis- 2 goals

Despite a strong start to the season, Jarvis was yet to be rewarded. Tonight, he took what was his, scoring twice, including the game-winner on the power play. Without Aho, he is the guy who made the largest impact, helping carry the team to a big win. 

Up Next- The road trip is almost over. The team will leave California and head to the Pacific Northwest for a date with the Seattle Kraken. Seattle has yet to win a game, losing on Tuesday to the Hurricanes' opponent on Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche.