2023-24 Regular Season, Game 60: Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets (Postgame)

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 Jenner (9))

CAR (19:45)- Seth Jarvis (19) EN (assisted by Jordan Martinook (13) & Brett Pesce (7))

My Thoughts

I'm not sure if it's because it was a nationally televised game or if there is some other deep-seated reason for my pessimism, but I wasn't feeling good when the Blue Jackets made it 3-2 on the power play. It felt like a classic case of the Hurricanes controlling play, only to lose all of their momentum against a team that they should easily beat. To Columbus' credit, they nearly forced the Canes to break after they pulled Daniil Tarasov with 3:37 left. They fought until the very end, but the Canes took two points they knew they were likely to get. 

If not for their strong performance in the second period, the Hurricanes could've easily been in a rough spot in the final 20 minutes. I really didn't like the first period from the Canes. Some well-placed sticks prevented the Blue Jackets from converting on a few great chances. Sebastian Aho got back to deny Boone Jenner alone in the slot. Jaccob Slavin knocked down a pass intended for the front of the net with a few players loose. Jalen Chatfield thwarted a chance for Yegor Chinakhov. The Drury line had a few good chances in the period, but it was ultimately a wash. The Canes dominated the middle frame. They scored three goals legally, with a fourth being taken out after a successful challenge. This is when the Aho line came to life. Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho each scored in the period, and Brady Skjei scored a beautiful one-handed goal coming out of the penalty box. While Columbus did get on the board, it felt like the Canes' 3-1 lead was pretty safe. The Aho line was just as good to start the third, but when they didn't score on the five or six incredible chances they had, I started to get concerned. Fortunately, my worrying was all for naught. 

On paper, this should've been a relatively easy road trip for the Canes. Their three games were against a pair of Eastern Conference opponents who are out of the playoff race and a Western Conference opponent fighting for a spot in the Wild Card race. It turns out it was a very tough one. While the Canes had their dominant moments, especially tonight, they earned every bit of their 2-0-1 record. They were forced to earn their bounces, getting some good ones tonight. They also got some solid goaltending from Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin, who earned a little revenge tonight against the team that waived him. Columbus' loss has been Carolina's gain since he beat Boston before the All-Star Break. With February now completed and a busy March on the horizon, the Canes are in an excellent spot. They finish the month within striking distance of the Rangers, trailing them by five points while sitting nine points clear of the Flyers for second in the division. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Teuvo Teravainen- 1 goal, 1 assist

The Aho line was the Canes' best tonight. Teravainen was the only forward to finish with multiple points, scoring the first goal early in the second period and assisting on Aho's tally a few minutes later. Of the three forwards on the line, Teravainen's night was the least flashy, scoring on his only shot, but the results were there for him. 

2nd Star- Brady Skjei- 1 goal, 1 assist

The Canes' second defensive pair has been a little inconsistent at times this season, but they were phenomenal tonight. They combined to finish at +7, with Skjei finishing at +4. While his partner has two assists, Skjei helped set up Aho's goal before scoring an incredible one-handed goal coming out of the penalty box. Hopefully, this performance can set the tone for the two down the stretch.

1st Star- Sebastian Aho- 1 goal

If he had a few more bounces go his way, Aho could've finished the night with several goals. His one goal was pretty lucky as it is, getting a helpful bounce off Peeke's skate. He had a few chances on his first shift in the third period, including a puck that hit the crossbar twice and was slung away by Tarasov. Aho finished with a game-high five shots and was the best player on the ice for most of the night.

Up Next- The Hurricanes will begin their March slate with an early afternoon battle with the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. The Canes and Jets played a great game in Winnipeg in December, which the Jets won 2-1. Carolina will have a long break after the game, not playing again until they host the Montreal Canadiens on March 7.