2023-24 Regular Season, Game 41: Hurricanes vs. Anaheim Ducks (Postgame)

After four days off, the Hurricanes returned to the ice for the second game of their long homestand. They haven't played since Saturday night when they lost 2-1 in a shootout to the St. Louis Blues, snapping their five-game win streak. The Canes welcomed the Anaheim Ducks to PNC Arena, looking to get back at them for the 6-3 loss they handed them early in the season. Anaheim would have to do it without Trevor Zegras or Pavel Mintyukov in the lineup. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (16:00)- Brady Skjei (7) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (15) & Jordan Staal (8))

CAR (16:15)- Andrei Svechnikov (10) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (32) & Teuvo Teravainen (9))

2nd Period

ANA (0:25)- Isac Lundestrom (1) (assisted by Brett Leason (6) & Brock McGinn (2))

CAR (1:57)- Jordan Martinook (3) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (16))

ANA (10:06)- Ryan Strome (5) (assisted by Troy Terry (16))

ANA (10:53)- Frank Vatrano (20) PP (assisted by Adam Henrique (12))

CAR (14:30)- Stefan Noesen (11) (assisted by Michael Bunting (18) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (9))

CAR (16:41)- Jack Drury (7) PP (assisted by Stefan Noesen (14) & Teuvo Teravainen (10))

3rd Period

CAR (9:54)- Seth Jarvis (15) (assisted by Brent Burns (16) & Jordan Martinook (9))

My Thoughts

After a long break and playing against a team struggling to find wins, this is about the type of game I expected the Canes to play. Early, it started to feel like a John Gibson masterpiece reminiscent of the game he played in Raleigh last season. Some of the stops he made in the first period were unbelievable. He clearly had a vendetta against Michael Bunting because he robbed him at least three times tonight. Then, the floodgates opened, and the goals started to come. Both sides jockeyed for position until the Canes ultimately took control. 

Special teams were a bit of a head-scratcher tonight. I think the Canes won the battle, but the numbers are a little crazy. The Canes took three offensive-zone penalties, and while none of them haunted them, it was one of their most undisciplined games of the season. The goal they allowed on the penalty kill to Frank Vatrano is one that you just throw your hands up at because it was a cleanly won draw, and he fired it off the iron without much of a challenge. The goal by Vatrano came three seconds into the penalty, and it was the only shot they allowed to the Ducks' power play. Mason McTavish ran the post in the third period, but that's about all they got. The power play scored for the eighth straight game as Jack Drury cashed in on a penalty he drew. What was most impressive about it was that each player on the second unit touched the puck during the play. The top unit looked great on the Canes' first opportunity but fell off a cliff on the next two. 

Offensively, a lot of it went through the Staal line. They combined for three of the team's six markers. Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists. Jordan Martinook celebrated his 600th game with a goal and an assist. Jordan Staal had a helper on the opening goal. All four lines contributed in some way. The SAT line combined for an incredible goal 15 seconds after Brady Skjei was set up by Jarvis. The Kotkaniemi line scored the game-winning goal, and all three forwards recorded points as Stefan Noesen put one home. The fourth line's contribution came with Drury's goal on the power play. The other thing I loved about this effort was how they stood up for each other. Martinook and Staal took exception to Robert Hagg getting into it with Jarvis. Brendan Lemieux dropped the gloves with Sam Carrick after Carrick laid out Drury along the boards. It's clear that these guys love playing together, and it shows in moments like this. 

The big concern from tonight's win is Pyotr Kochetkoc leaving the game early after a collision with Isac Lundestrom in the second period. Let's start by clarifying that Lundestrom was shoved into Kochetkov by Dmitry Orlov. I know the fans at PNC Arena wanted a call, but there was no need for one. Lundestrom wouldn't have come into contact if he hadn't been shoved. Seeing Kochetkov stay down that long before being helped off the ice doesn't inspire much confidence. I have no clue how serious Kochetkov's injury is, so I won't speculate how long he's out, if at all. I hope it's nothing too serious because he's been the backbone of the team for the last month. 

No matter how it happened, it was two points on a rare tough night in the division. The Rangers and Capitals lost in regulation. The Penguins and Devils lost in overtime. Outside of the Canes, the Islanders were the only other division team to win, beating Toronto in overtime. We've hit the halfway point in the season, with tonight being Game #41. The Canes trail the Rangers by three points, with New York holding a game in hand. They're also three points clear of the Islanders and Flyers, who no longer have games in hand. The Canes are on a roll, and this is significantly more fun than where we were a little over a month ago. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Jordan Martinook- 1 goal, 1 assist

Ignoring the two penalties he took tonight, Game #600 for Martinook was one to remember. His goal turned out to be an important one after the Ducks got on the board. His assist came late on the sixth goal, but he also played an important part in the opening goal from Skjei. He got the puck out of the zone, which allowed his linemates to set the wheels in motion on what turned into a beautiful goal. 

2nd Star- Stefan Noesen- 1 goal, 1 assist

With the game tied 3-3 and Kochetkov leaving the game with an injury, the Canes needed to find a spark. That spark came from Noesen, who finished the period with the game-winning goal and a primary assist on the power play. Against his former team, Noesen found the slimmest sliver of daylight to get the puck past Gibson, resulting in the deciding goal. 

1st Star- Seth Jarvis- 1 goal, 2 assists

While I think the odds of him making it to Toronto for the All-Star game appear slim, with voting ending tonight, Jarvis turned in a great performance. His pass to Skjei kickstarted the night after Gibson made it feel like goals would be at a premium. He also made a beautiful saucer pass on Martinook's goal, getting the puck perfectly over a defender's stick. He capped it off with a great deflection in the third period as the Canes cruised to the win. 

Up Next- The homestand rolls on as the Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to PNC Arena on Saturday night. With Kochetkov's injury tonight, it seems fairly certain that Antti Raanta will be in the net. On Monday, the Canes will welcome the newest member of the Hurricanes Hall of Fame as Justin Williams is honored with his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, in town for an afternoon tilt.