Thoughts From My Couch

With the Hurricanes playing some of their best hockey of the season, they entered their final game of 2023 in Toronto, riding back-to-back wins out of the break. On the heels of a hat trick by Andrei Svechnikov and consecutive four-point games by Sebastian Aho, the Canes looked to slow down one of the best cores in the league in Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares. The Leafs, coming off a tough 6-5 overtime loss to Columbus last night, looked to erase that defeat by beating the Canes to turn around what has been a tough stretch for them.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (2:24)- Michael Bunting (8) PP (assisted by Sebastian Aho (26) & Andrei Svechnikov (14)) 2nd Period CAR (13:52)- Seth Jarvis (13) PP (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (15) & Sebastian Aho (27)) 3rd Period TOR (4:16)- Timothy Liljegren (1) (assisted by Max Domi (17) & Mark Giordano (5)) CAR (19:05)- Sebastian Aho (15) EN (unassisted) TOR (19:50)- Nicholas Robertson (5) (assisted by Max Domi (18) & Tim...

After winning in Nashville in their return from the break, the Hurricanes were back at PNC Arena less than 24 hours later to face the Montreal Canadiens, who hadn't played since before Christmas. Antti Raanta made his first start in nearly two weeks for the team after the saga that played out before the break. The Canes got it going early as Andrei Svechnikov tipped a shot from the point by Brent Burns past Cayden Primeau to put Carolina ahead just over 90 seconds into the contest. Jesper Fast broke his 17-game goalless drought by tapping home a pass from Sebastian Aho to make it 2-0. Montreal responded quickly to Fast as Mitchell Stephens popped a blocked shot past Raanta to cut into the Canes' lead. After Jack Drury had a goal taken off the board for goalie interference, Mike Matheson tied the game with four seconds left in the period on the power play to send the game to the intermission tied. Fast broke the tie early in the second period after an incredible forechecking shi...

Riding a big 5-2 win in Nashville last night, the Hurricanes returned home to meet the Montreal Canadiens for the first time this season to complete the back-to-back. Sebastian Aho was the star of the night against the Predators, notching his 500th point on a goal in the first period before adding three assists to complete his four-point night. The power play struck three times as Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 35 shots to outduel Juuse Saros. Antti Raanta was in the net for the first time since being waived before Christmas, trying to hold off a Habs team still in the hunt.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (1:35)- Andrei Svechnikov (4) (assisted by Brent Burns (11) & Sebastian Aho (22)) CAR (12:40)- Jesper Fast (3) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (23) & Brent Burns (12)) MTL (13:51)- Mitchell Stephens (2) (assisted by Michael Pezzetta (4) & Jayden Struble (2)) MTL (19:56)- Mike Matheson (6) PP (assisted by Sean Monahan (12) & Cayden Primeau (2)) 2nd Period CAR (1:29)- Jesper Fa...

The Hurricanes returned to the ice last night with a huge 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators, who handed the Canes a 6-5 overtime loss just 12 days prior. The power play set the pace in the first period. Sebastian Aho notched his 500th NHL point by snapping a shot past Juuse Saros and then picked up point #501 later in the period when Brent Burns snapped one home from the point. Nashville got on the board early in the second period when Gustav Nyquist batted home a rebound to make it 2-1. The Canes' top line got another shortly after as Aho found Andrei Svechnikov for his third goal of the season. Ryan O'Reilly scored his second goal on the power play in as many meetings to make it 3-2, but the hard work from the Canes' fourth line got the goal back as Jack Drury trickled one past Saros. The Canes' power play struck for a third time late in the second as Seth Jarvis redirected a shot into the net. Saros would be on the bench to begin the third period, and the Canes de...

After taking a few days off for the holidays, the Carolina Hurricanes returned to action for the first game of a back-to-back. Their first opponent would be the Nashville Predators, who beat the Canes 6-5 in overtime 12 days ago in Raleigh. With the lines getting a major shakeup ahead of the battle against Juuse Saros, Carolina would be looking to start on the right foot as 2023 draws to a close.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (9:50)- Sebastian Aho (14) PP (assisted by Brent Burns (10) & Seth Jarvis (14)) CAR (15:08)- Brent Burns (6) PP (assisted by Sebastian Aho (19) & Andrei Svechnikov (13)) 2nd Period NSH (1:18)- Gustav Nyquist (6) (assisted by Ryan O'Reilly (15)) CAR (3:44)- Andrei Svechnikov (3) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (20)) NSH (5:08)- Ryan O'Reilly (14) PP (assisted by Colton Sissons (9) & Roman Josi (21)) CAR (9:56)- Jack Drury (5) (assisted by Jesper Fast (7) & Stefan Noesen (11)) CAR (17:54)- Seth Jarvis (12) PP (assisted by Michael Bunting (17) ...

The Christmas break couldn't have come at a better time for the Hurricanes. To say this season hasn't been going to plan would be putting it mildly. Their final game before the break against the Islanders was a good look into those struggles, especially in the net. After a terrible missed call on a potential Andrei Svechnikov breakaway, the Isles got on the board first as Sebastian Aho (not Carolina's) scored on a third chance to break the ice. Just over a minute later, Teuvo Teravainen knocked home a puck in the crease to tie it. New York struck twice before the end of the period, getting a spinning goal from Brock Nelson and a one-timer from Bo Horvat past Pyotr Kochetkov to take a 3-1 lead. The Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho scored 59 seconds into the second period on the power play to pull within a goal, but a one-timer later in the period by Mike Reilly put New York back up by two goals. Jaccob Slavin hammered a shot over the blocker of Ilya Sorokin less than two minute...

Daily Headlines Monday 12/18 The Ottawa Senators fire Head Coach DJ Smith amid a four-game losing streak and an 11-15-0 start.  Eeli Tolvanen scores in the final minute to force overtime, but Thomas Harley spoils the comeback by scoring in the extra session to get the Stars a 4-3 win over Seattle. Tuesday 12/19 Kirill Marchenko's natural hat trick plays a small part in Columbus's nine-goal outburst as they embarrass the Sabres in Buffalo 9-4.  Arizona erases a 3-0 deficit, scoring three goals in the third period to complete the comeback in a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators.  The Hurricanes go 3-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill to dismantle the Vegas Golden Knights 6-3 in Raleigh.  Auston Matthews scores twice to take the league lead in goals, but Mika Zibanejad's two-goal performance helps the Rangers to a 5-2 win in Toronto.   Wednesday 12/20 Joey Daccord keeps his hot streak going by stopping 42 shots in a 2-1 win for Seattle in Lo...

On the night before Christmas Eve, the Hurricanes welcomed the New York Islanders to town as the Christmas break loomed. With three days off between games, the Canes looked to empty the tank to pick up two valuable points in the ever-tightening division battle. The Islanders opened the night one point ahead of the Canes in the standings, meaning this was a big game for both sides.  Scoring Summary 1st Period NYI (11:19)- Sebastian Aho (1) (assisted by Kyle Palmieri (11) & Brock Nelson (14)) CAR (12:22)- Teuvo Teravainen (13) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (13) & Dmitry Orlov (12)) NYI (14:43)- Brock Nelson (16) (assisted by Mike Reilly (5) & Kyle Palmieri (12)) NYI (18:25)- Bo Horvat (14) (assisted by Mathew Barzal (24) & Anders Lee (4)) 2nd Period CAR (0:59)- Sebastian Aho (13) PP (assisted by Michael Bunting (16) & Andre Svechnikov (11)) NYI (14:12)- Mike Reilly (2) (assisted by Mathew Barzal (25) & Anders Lee (5)) 3rd Period CAR (1:56)- Jaccob Slavin (4) (assis...

The penultimate game before Christmas for the Carolina Hurricanes was a division battle in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. It was a defensive struggle as Pyotr Kochetkov and Alex Nedeljkovic did their best to keep their opponent off the board. Sidney Crosby scored his third goal in two meetings by redirecting a pass from Rikard Rakell to open the scoring in the first period. Teuvo Teravainen broke a nine-game goalless drought with some puck luck late in the second period, getting a friendly bounce off Kris Letang's skate to tie it. Neither side scored in the third period, ensuring the Canes would extend their season-high point streak to six games. The Canes were forced to kill a late penalty despite the argument they should've drawn at least three penalties of their own in overtime. Crosby would score the deciding goal in the shootout to get the Penguins the second point. The penalty kill for the Canes continued to remain unbeatable, stopping all five attempts from Pittsburgh...

As we inch closer to Christmas, the Hurricanes took their five-game point streak on the road for the final time before the break. Coming off a lopsided 6-3 win over Vegas on Tuesday night, the Canes traveled to Pittsburgh for the first time this season to meet the Penguins. The Canes won 4-2 when they met in Raleigh in mid-November, getting two goals from Seth Jarvis in the win. With the Penguins trying to climb back into the division picture, they needed a strong performance from former Hurricane Alex Nedeljkovic to kickstart their effort.  Scoring Summary 1st Period PIT (8:51)- Sidney Crosby (19) (assisted by Rikard Rakell (5) & Jake Guentzel (21)) 2nd Period CAR (14:52)- Teuvo Teravainen (12) (assisted by Jack Drury (8) & Jaccob Slavin (15)) 3rd Period None Overtime PIT- Sidney Crosby (PIT 1-0) My Thoughts How could I possibly be mad at the Hurricanes for this result? Sure, I'd have liked for them to score more than one goal, and getting one in the shootout would've ...

The Carolina Hurricanes welcomed the defending champions to Raleigh on Tuesday night, and they ran through the Golden Knights. The score was tied at the end of the first period after Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play in his return to the lineup after a six-game absence, and William Carrier buried a pinballing puck. The game took a major turn in the second period as the Canes opened the floodgates. Jordan Staal scored early in the period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi broke out of a slump by burying a rebound. Michael Bunting scored another on the power play, putting home Sebastian Aho's initial chance. Seth Jarvis scored ten seconds into the third period on the power play to make it 5-1, and Brady Skjei added a sixth after he knocked down the puck and sniped it over Logan Thompson's glove. Vegas scored twice in the final 1:30 to make the game appear closer, but the Canes finished the night with an emphatic 6-3 win over the defending champs. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots in the...

After back-to-back losses in extra time, this was either going to be the worst or best time for the Carolina Hurricanes to have the defending champions come to town. The Canes played host to the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights, who are enjoying a magnificent start after scaling to the top of the mountain in June. The Canes would get huge news before the game as Andrei Svechnikov returned to the lineup after a six-game absence, giving the team a huge offensive weapon to try and counter one of the most well-rounded teams in the league.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (10:27)- Andrei Svechnikov (2) PP (assisted by Brady Skjei (14) & Sebastian Aho (16)) VGK (13:15)- William Carrier (4) (assisted by Brayden McNabb (11) & Brett Howden (5)) 2nd Period CAR (4:36)- Jordan Staal (5) (assisted by Jesper Fast (6) & Jordan Martinook (8)) CAR (10:11)- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (9) (assisted by Jalen Chatfield (6) & Michael Bunting (14)) CAR (12:39)- Michael Bunting (7) PP (assisted by Seba...

The Hurricanes' recent stretch can be looked at in a few different ways. On one side of it, the Hurricanes have earned points in their last four games. On the other side, they've lost their last two games at home in overtime to Nashville and a shootout to Washington. Their loss to Washington on Sunday night was a tight game. Sebastian Aho broke the scoreless tie in the second period on a one-timer from the slot, but Martin Fehervary tied it less than four minutes later as he walked down from the blue line. Pyotr Kochetkov and Darcy Kuemper were on their game, sending the game to overtime. The Capitals played one of the most boring overtime periods I've ever seen. Brady Skjei made a huge defensive play to keep a puck from going over the goal line. In the shootout, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the lone goal, helping the Capitals take the second point. Kochetkov made 20 stops to allow just one goal in his third straight game, while Kuemper made 28 to help Washington steal the game....

Daily Headlines Monday 12/11 The league suspends Erik Gudbranson (1 game) and David Perron (6 games) for incidents that occurred over the weekend.  John Tavares joins the ranks of players to record 1,000 points in his career against his former team, but Bo Horvat spoils the party in overtime to help the Islanders beat the Maple Leafs 4-3.  Tuesday 12/12 Auston Matthews scores two goals and adds two assists, and Mitch Marner scores twice as the Maple Leafs go off at Madison Square Garden in a 7-3 win.  Sebastian Aho scores two goals and an assist in just over five minutes in the second period to help the Hurricanes end a four-game skid with a 4-1 win in Ottawa. McDavid (2A) gets the best of Bedard (1G) as the battle of generational Connors goes in the Oilers' favor 4-1 over the Blackhawks.  Brock Boeser's natural hat trick helps the Canucks pull away from the Lightning for a 4-1 win.  The St. Louis Blues fire Head Coach Craig Berube after a 13-14-1 start.  W...

It has been a very busy weekend in Raleigh. Following Friday night's 6-5 OTL to the Nashville Predators, the team waived Antti Raanta and assigned him to the AHL after he cleared on Sunday. This move meant that Pyotr Kochetkov was effectively named the team's starter moving forward. He carried a two-game win streak into tonight's effort against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.  Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (7:41)- Sebastian Aho (12) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (12)) WSH (11:33)- Martin Fehervary (1) (assisted by Tom Wilson (8) & Dylan Strome (6)) 3rd Period None Overtime None Shootout WSH- Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH 1-0) My Thoughts I understand that we're supposed to be upset when the Hurricanes lose, and I didn't love this outcome, but there was so much about this performance and result that I didn't mind. Allow me to hit the low points early to get them out of the way. The power play going 0-for-5, especially coming up empty on the dou...