2023-24 Regular Season, Game 57: Hurricanes vs. Dallas Stars (Postgame)

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 off because this was not fun. Frustrating might be the best word to use for that game. Chances were at a premium tonight, and the Stars did a better job of capitalizing on theirs. Jake Oettinger was tough to solve in both meetings this season. Three goals in two games aren't going to beat most teams, even if you hold them to six. I didn't think the Canes played terribly, but I also don't think they played well enough to win. That's more a testament to the Stars than it is an indictment against the Hurricanes. 

Just to get it out of the way, what were the officials smoking tonight because that was rough to watch? I've never had less of an idea of what holding was in my life. Jack Drury gets called for it in the second period, yet far more egregious holds go uncalled. The interference penalty against Dmitry Orlov was the crown jewel of bad calls. It was a brutal hit, but it was clean. Thomas Harley had just released the puck when Orlov, who had already committed to the hit, cleaned his clock. It was high, either. It was a clean check through the body. Had Dallas scored in the third period to go up 3-1, there might've been a mutiny at PNC Arena tonight. Fortunately, the penalty kill was phenomenal all night, holding Dallas to two shots on four attempts. 

This was a war of attrition in the third period. The two sides combined for seven shots, which is great for Dallas and bad for Carolina. Down 2-1 with 20 minutes to go, getting four shots isn't ideal. Dallas made sure to congest the shooting lanes to prevent much from getting to Oettinger. When they did get shots through, they weren't challenging. I guarantee this game is tied if the Canes don't pass up some of their odd-man situations. I can't be too mad about the loss, considering what has gone on this week, but this was a disappointing way to end this short homestand.

My Three Stars of the Game
3rd Star- Andrei Svechnikov- 1 assist
In two games against the Stars, Svechnikov finished with zero shots on the net. Tonight, he did manage to pick up a secondary assist on Aho's goal, pushing his point streak to four games. He did throw his body around, finishing with a game-high five hits. 

2nd Star- Michael Bunting- 4 shots
While Bunting didn't end up on the scoresheet, it felt like he was all over the ice tonight. He was incredibly noticeable in the first two periods. His four shots were tied for the most tonight with Necas, who also failed to find the scoresheet. Their line with Drury was probably the team's best all night.

1st Star- Sebastian Aho- 1 goal
Dating back to the Chicago game, Aho has factored in on the last four Carolina goals. He finished with a goal and an assist against the Blackhawks before scoring the Canes' only goal in the last two games. It's usually a coin flip when it comes to Aho on breakaways, but this was a sweet finish to get the Canes back even.

Up Next- Tonight was the first half of a back-to-back, meaning the Hurricanes will be on the road tomorrow when they face the Buffalo Sabres. The Canes own an overtime win and a blowout win over the Sabres this season, but both of those wins came in Raleigh. Spencer Martin will likely be in the net for that one. The Canes will also make pit stops in Minnesota and Columbus this week to complete their three-game road trip.

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