2023-24 Regular Season, Game 7: Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning (Postgame)

The Hurricanes' road trip is finally ending as they travel to Tampa Bay to close the six-game journey. Needing a win to pull even for the trip, the Canes look to get to Jonas Johansson early. The team received positive news before the game as Sebastian Aho returned from his three-game absence with an upper-body injury. He would be on the wing of Teuvo Teravainen as he looked to get back into the action. 

Scoring Summary
1st Period
TB (19:04)- Brayden Point (1) PP (assisted by Victor Hedman (6) & Nikita Kucherov (4))
2nd Period
TB (17:51)- Alex Barre-Boulet (2) (assisted by Darren Raddysh (3) & Brayden Point (8))
3rd Period
TB (17:04)- Nick Paul (4) (assisted by Brandon Hagel (3) & Mikhail Sergachev (3))

My Thoughts
Just when you think you get the defense figured out, the offense decides to go cold. Granted, it's one game without a goal, but we've yet to see the offense and defense work together in harmony this season. This isn't to say the defense was perfect tonight. There were plenty of defensive breakdowns. In the first two minutes of the game, Brayden Point was all alone against Pyotr Kochetkov at the front of the net. Kochetkov did a great job to outwait him to make an excellent save. It took the Hurricanes a period to finally find their game, but it was too late. While we didn't know the goal allowed on the power play in the first period would be the game-winner, that's how things played out. 

If we're adding to the laundry list of things the Hurricanes need to work on, closing period without allowing a goal needs to join the list. All three of Tampa Bay's goals came in the final three minutes of a period. The goal in the first period was in the final minute. Imagine how differently this game would've felt if the Canes got to the first intermission in a scoreless tie. Instead, we had to sit for 18 minutes stewing on the goal allowed at the end of the period. The same goes for the goal at the end of the second. Going into the third period, a one-shot game would've been more favorable, but it wasn't to be. 

Don't say I didn't call it this morning when I said Jonas Johansson could play the best game of his career against the Hurricanes. The only other shutout of his career came in 2021 with the Avalanche, denying all 28 shots he faced against the Ducks. I don't think the Hurricanes made things too difficult for him. They had plenty of scoring chances, but many shots were easily detected. Meanwhile, Pyotr Kochetkov is on the other end of the ice, making acrobatic saves to keep the Canes in the game. Kochetkov deserved a better effort from the team in front of him. He isn't at fault for any of the goals allowed in this game, getting beat by two redirections and a snipe from the left dot. 

I'm usually able to flesh out my thoughts a lot more after games, so I'm not sure why I'm so succinct tonight, especially since it was a loss. Maybe it was the lack of offense. I can't pinpoint the exact reason. I don't think the Hurricanes played a bad game. However, recent results meant they couldn't afford a game like this to happen. It is still early in the season, and I'm still riding the Hurricanes as my pick to win the Stanley Cup. A 3-4-0 record after seven games won't change that, especially after their early injury troubles. If things don't turn around soon, it might get me to second-guess my pick. Good things are right around the corner for the Carolina Hurricanes. 

My Three Stars of the Game
The tradition continues where I don't give out stars after a shutout loss. Is it petty of me? Yes, and I can admit that. It wasn't all bad for the Hurricanes tonight. Pyotr Kochetkov was good. Sebastian Aho was solid in his return. Seth Jarvis and Michael Bunting had chances. The Canes didn't play terribly. However, I will withhold stars until they score goals. 

Up Next
The Hurricanes will make their long-awaited return to PNC Arena for a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. Thursday night, they'll seek revenge against the Seattle Kraken after being handed a 7-4 loss during the road trip. On Friday night, the San Jose Sharks will come to town looking for revenge of their own after the Canes beat them 6-3 in San Jose. We'll have to cross our fingers, but I'm not expecting a return from Andrei Svechnikov until sometime next week. It would be pretty cool to get him back on home ice, though.

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