Thoughts From My Couch

The final stop on the Hurricanes' week-long road trip took them to Columbus for a battle against a division foe. The Canes are coming off a 3-2 victory over the Wild on Tuesday night, in which they got several good bounces in the final 21 minutes of the contest. The game-winner came off Stefan Noesen's face in the third period, helping the Canes ensure at least a .500 finish on the trip. They'll face the Blue Jackets for the second time this season. Columbus was in action last night, losing to the Rangers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (0:53)- Teuvo Teravainen (18) (unassisted) CAR (8:19)- Sebastian Aho (23) (assisted by Brady Skjei (25) & Teuvo Teravainen (23)) CBJ (9:56)- Cole Sillinger (10) (assisted by Zach Werenski (30) & Alex Nylander (1)) CAR (16:30)- Brady Skjei (8) (assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (11) & Brent Burns (23)) 3rd Period CBJ (8:41)- Alex Nylander (1) PP (assisted by Jack Roslovic (14) & Boone ...

The Hurricanes needed every good bounce they could get while in Minnesota on Tuesday night. The second stop on their three-game journey saw them face the Wild, who'd come into Raleigh and beaten them a little over a month prior. After a hot start by the Canes, the Wild would swing the momentum after earning a power play. While the Canes killed it, Connor Dewar spun and fired a shot past Pyotr Kochetkov from the slot to give Minnesota the lead. Jordan Staal responded a little over five minutes later on a rebound, beating Filip Gustavsson over his shoulder on the backhand. Jonas Brodin helped put Minnesota back in front in the final minute of the period. He floated a shot from the point past several bodies, and Kochetkov never saw it coming. It was a deflating feeling as the Wild took a 2-1 lead into the break. The Canes didn't find the tying goal until the final minute of the second period. Andrei Svechnikov finished a pass from Seth Jarvis, though it was probably going wide of ...

The Hurricanes are in the State of Hockey, playing the second game of their three-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild. They suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sabres on Sunday night, starting the trip with just one point. Tonight, they'll face red-hot Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild, who are looking to make a push in the Wild Card race. Kaprizov was the league's first star last week after scoring 12 points in four games, including a hat trick and three assists against Vancouver last Monday. Scoring Summary 1st Period MIN (10:10)- Connor Dewar (8) (assisted by Declan Chisholm (4) & Ryan Hartman (16)) CAR (15:26)- Jordan Staal (8) (assisted by Jordan Martinook (12) & Jaccob Slavin (19)) MIN (19:39)- Jonas Brodin (6) (assisted by Brandon Duhaime (3) & Ryan Hartman (17)) 2nd Period CAR (19:35)- Andrei Svechnikov (13) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (29) & Jordan Staal (15)) 3rd Period CAR (11:02)- Stefan Noesen (13) (assisted by Jack Drury (18) & Teuvo Teravainen (...

The Hurricanes' road trip didn't start on the best of terms on Sunday night. They were completing the second half of a back-to-back when they met the Buffalo Sabres for the third and final time this season. Things started well, with Tony DeAngelo finishing a beautiful passing sequence early in the period to get the Canes off and running. Spencer Martin was also sharp to begin the game. Jeff Skinner stung his old team early in the second period, putting home a rebound on the power play to tie the game. The Canes thought they'd taken the lead when Teuvo Teravainen buried a shot, but it was blown dead before the goal was scored for a hand pass. Further evaluation appeared to show there was no hand pass on the play, but the Canes couldn't review it. They would eventually find the go-ahead goal with less than six minutes left in regulation after Martin Necas buried a one-timer on the power play, but Owen Power responded 1:13 later to send the game to overtime. Neither side c...

Daily Headlines Monday 2/19 In a game featuring 17 goals and three hat tricks (Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Miller), Minnesota scores seven goals in the third period to take down the Vancouver Canucks 10-7. Sean Monahan completes a natural hat trick in the first period against his former team, but the Flames score five unanswered goals to shut down the Jets 6-3. Patrick Kane notches his 800th assist, and Ben Chiarot plays the hero in overtime as Detroit beats Seattle 4-3. Boston's Justin Brazeau and Vegas' Mason Morelli each score in their NHL debuts as Boston beats Dallas 4-3 in a shootout, and Vegas wins 4-0 in San Jose.  Tuesday 2/20 The Islanders blow a two-goal lead in the third period, but Adam Pelech helps them avoid disaster by winning it in overtime to beat the Penguins 5-4.  Wednesday 2/21 Auston Matthews returns home and scores twice to break 50 goals, becoming the fastest U.S.-born player to reach that mark as the Maple Leafs down the Coyotes 6-3.  Edmonton eras...

After a tough loss to the Stars last night, the Hurricanes hit the road to begin a three-game road trip. The first stop was in Buffalo as the Canes and Sabres played their final game of the season against one another. Sebastian Aho carried a three-game goal streak into Buffalo against a team on an upswing, with back-to-back wins. Buffalo features a talented group that is among the best at keeping the puck out of the net, though their offense hasn't always been there to pick up the slack.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (2:40)- Tony DeAngelo (3) (assisted by Michael Bunting (22) & Martin Necas (24)) 2nd Period BUF (6:27)- Jeff Skinner (19) PP (assisted by Dylan Cozens (24) & Kyle Okposo (9)) 3rd Period CAR (14:42)- Martin Necas (18) PP (assisted by Brady Skjei (24) & Teuvo Teravainen (20)) BUF (15:55)- Owen Power (3) (assisted by Peyton Krebs (8) & Zach Benson (12)) Overtime None Shootout BUF- Casey Mittelstadt My Thoughts Does anyone else feel cheated out of two poi...

The Hurricanes saw their four-game win streak thrown away by the Dallas Stars last night, losing a tight 2-1 contest at PNC Arena. Dallas got on the board first after Jason Robertson's pass attempt ended up back on his stick and into the net late in the first period. Sebastian Aho wasted little time getting the Canes on the board in the second period. Aho beat Jake Oettinger on a breakaway just over two minutes into the period, beating him over the glove, like he did against Sergei Bobrovsky on Thursday night. Wyatt Johnston reclaimed the lead for Dallas less than six minutes later, using Jaccob Slavin as a screen to beat Pyotr Kochetkov. The 2-1 lead would stick for the Stars. The Canes managed just four shots in the third period, falling at home to finish their homestand. Oettinger finished the night with 20 stops, while Kochetkov stopped 14 of 16. Aho extended his goal streak to three games, while Andrei Svechnikov and Jesper Fast extended their point streaks to four and three g...

After a thrilling late-minute victory on Thursday night against the Florida Panthers, the Hurricanes looked to finish their homestand perfectly with the Dallas Stars in town. Sebastian Aho scored with 18.9 seconds left to get the lone goal as Pyotr Kochetkov secured a 45-save shutout in the 1-0 win. The Canes looked to do it again by getting some revenge on the Dallas Stars, who beat Carolina during their visit 11 days ago. With the win over Florida providing such a high, the Canes aimed to rein it in before heading on the road.  Scoring Summary 1st Period DAL (16:38)- Jason Robertson (19) (assisted by Miro Heiskanen (29) & Joe Pavelski (29)) 2nd Period CAR (2:16)- Sebastian Aho (22) (assisted by Jesper Fast (10) & Andrei Svechnikov (22)) DAL (8:15)- Wyatt Johnston (19) (assisted by Jamie Benn (25) & Miro Heiskanen (30)) 3rd Period None My Thoughts Well, that's one way to be brought back down to Earth a little. The thrill of Thursday's victory has officially worn of...

The Hurricanes' win streak is at four games after an exhilarating win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night when two of the Eastern Conference's best clashed in Raleigh. It's their second-longest win streak of the season, and it halted the Panthers' 11-game road win streak, preventing them from tying the league record. Pyotr Kochetkov and Sergei Bobrovsky battled between the pipes, each playing incredible games. Both made some insane stops to keep the other's team off the board. Bobrovsky's best came late in the second period with an elevated pad stop on Martin Necas, while Kochetkov sprawled to get his arm on a 2-on-1 chance from Evan Rodrigues. Florida thought they'd taken the lead with less than 3:30 left in regulation as Eetu Luostarinen tipped a pass past Kochetkov. A quick challenge and review determined that Luostarinen was way offside before the goal, wiping it off the board. The Panthers continued their hunt for a goal, but it didn't come....

A heavyweight clash took place in Raleigh on Thursday night as the Hurricanes and Panthers met for the second time this season. Florida dominated the first encounter, beating the Canes 5-2 in Sunrise in their first meeting since the Eastern Conference Finals. While that meeting went terribly, this is a new Hurricanes team. Both teams entered the game red hot, especially the Panthers, who were looking to tie the NHL record for the longest road win streak. The Canes aimed to kill that streak while extending their win streak to four games. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period None 3rd Period CAR (19:41)- Sebastian Aho (21) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (21) & Jesper Fast (9)) My Thoughts I don't know; I think we have a new rivalry brewing. This game was almost everything we could've asked for. The anticipation for this battle was palpable in the days leading up to it. Two of the league's best were set to go to war, and that's exactly what we got. Now, there is g...

Thursday night in Raleigh is going to be a big one for the Hurricanes. Two teams carrying winning streaks will enter, but only one streak will remain intact. The Canes have won their last three contests since dropping a decision to Dallas to begin their most recent road trip. After back-to-back wins in Arizona and Vegas, the Canes returned home for a meeting Monday night with the Chicago Blackhawks. As you'd expect from a game featuring teams on opposite trajectories, the Canes dominated. Michael Bunting scored the lone goal of the first period, but the game was opened up in the second. Martin Necas, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Sebastian Aho scored in the first 11 minutes to take a 4-0 lead. Chicago got on the board late in the period as Nick Foligno's backhander surprised Spencer Martin. Brent Burns got it back on the power play early in the third period. Chicago got two of their own on the power play, including one from Connor Bedard, but Jordan Martinook's empty-netter seale...

After winning two of three games on the road last week, the Carolina Hurricanes returned home for three straight, beginning tonight with the Chicago Blackhawks. When you mention Chicago, Connor Bedard is likely not that far behind. The top pick in last year's draft has been almost as good as advertised, leading Calder Trophy consideration despite missing a month with a broken jaw. With the Canes coming off a tough win on Saturday night in Vegas, the friendly confines of PNC Arena were sure to be a welcome change for the group.  Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (11:45)- Michael Bunting (13) (assisted by Martin Necas (23) & Jack Drury (17)) 2nd Period CAR (1:59)- Martin Necas (17) (unassisted) CAR (8:32)- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (10 (assisted by Dmitry Orlov (15) & Teuvo Teravainen (19)) CAR (10:52)- Sebastian Aho (20) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (20) & Jesper Fast (8)) CHI (15:23)- Nick Foligno (13) (assisted by Connor Bedard (21)) 3rd Period CAR (2:34)- Brent Burns (9) PP (...

The Hurricanes are back at PNC Arena after winning two of their three games during their final long western road trip of the season. After losing in Dallas to start the trip, the Canes responded with a 5-1 win in Arizona on Friday night. Less than 24 hours later, they were in Vegas to battle the defending champions. Spencer Martin made his second start with the team after Pyotr Kochetkov beat the Coyotes. The Canes didn't look sharp in the first period, but Martin was there to bail them out on several occasions. The only blemish on his ledger was a goal midway through the first period after Jonathan Marchessault tapped home a rebound from the top of the crease. Andrei Svechnikov broke his short scoring drought early in the second period by whipping a backhander over the shoulder of Adin Hill, tying the game 81 seconds into the frame. He would be called for a brutal high-sticking penalty late in the period, but Seth Jarvis made Vegas pay 19 seconds into the third period by burying a...

Daily Headlines Monday 2/12 Joel Eriksson Ek scores twice, and Matt Boldy adds three points as the Wild knock off the defending champions 5-3 in Vegas. A three-goal third period allows the Flyers to overcome the Coyotes 5-3 as Travis Konecny notches three points.  Tuesday 2/13 Morgan Rielly is suspended for five games after cross-checking Ottawa's Ridly Greig in the head after clapping an empty-net goal. Connor McDavid records six assists, including the 600th of his career, as the Oilers dominate the Red Wings 8-4. Without Marner, Tavares, and Rielly in the lineup, Bobby McMann scores his first career hat trick to help the Maple Leafs beat the Blues 4-1. Brady Tkachuk buries three goals in a 6-3 win for the Ottawa Senators over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jordan Greenway scores twice and adds an assist to pace a seven-goal onslaught for the Sabres, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stops all 33 shots in a 7-0 win over the Kings. Wednesday 2/14 The Flyers name Sean Couturier as the 20th capta...

In the final stop of their three-game road trip, the Carolina Hurricanes looked to end the trip on a high note after splitting their first two games. Coming off a 5-1 win in the desert last night, the Canes tried to replicate their dominant performance from December when the Vegas Golden Knights visited Raleigh, a 6-3 win for Carolina. Without Jack Eichel and a few other key players in the lineup, Vegas looked for a little bit of revenge while trying to keep their hot streak going. Scoring Summary 1st Period VGK (10:15)- Jonathan Marchessault (28) (assisted by Nicolas Roy (20) & Ivan Barbashev (19)) 2nd Period CAR (1:21)- Andrei Svechnikov (12) (assisted by Seth Jarvis (26) & Brett Pesce (5)) 3rd Period CAR (0:19)- Seth Jarvis (18) SH (assisted by Jordan Staal (13) & Brady Skjei (23)) CAR (6:19)- Stefan Noesen (12) (assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (10) & Martin Necas (22)) My Thoughts Had the Carolina Hurricanes lost tonight because the referees made a terrible call at t...

The Hurricanes took control in Tempe last night and refused to relinquish it as they took down the Arizona Coyotes. Jordan Martinook scored just 16 seconds into the game, and the lead was 2-0 less than five minutes in after Jalen Chatfield added to it. Dylan Guenther got one back for the Coyotes before the end of the period, but Seth Jarvis' goal early in the second period put the momentum in the Canes' camp for good. Teuvo Teravainen scored on the power play late in the second to get the special teams involved. Michael Bunting tallied one more in the third period to ice the game for good. Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 stops, and Martin Necas and Jack Drury finished with multi-assist nights as the Canes took down the Coyotes 5-1 in their second stop on the road trip.  The Opponent: Vegas Golden Knights (31-16-6, 68 Points- 2nd in the Pacific Division) Last Meeting- The Hurricanes ran roughshod on the defending champions when they visited Raleigh before Christmas. Things were tight in...