2023-24 Regular Season, Game 61: Hurricanes vs. Winnipeg Jets (Postgame)

After a great road trip, earning five of six points, the Hurricanes returned to PNC Arena for an early afternoon start against the Winnipeg Jets. Fresh off being named the league's rookie of the month, Pyotr Kochetkov looked to outduel former Vezina winner and this year's frontrunner Connor Hellebuyck. With it being the celebration of Kids Day in the arena and Hockey Day in Finland, the Canes looked to provide a show against one of the best teams in the Western Conference. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

CAR (10:12)- Martin Necas (19) (assisted by Stefan Noesen (18) & Jalen Chatfield (10))

CAR (15:54)- Teuvo Teravainen (19) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (40) & Andrei Svechnikov (23))

CAR (19:12)- Sebastian Aho (24) PP (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (24) & Michael Bunting (23))

3rd Period

WPG (1:36)- Kyle Connor (25) (assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers (25) & Josh Morrissey (40))

WPG (3:02)- Nino Niederreiter (15) (assisted by Nate Schmidt (9) & Adam Lowry (18))

WPG (5:40)- Mark Scheifele (18) PP (assisted by Josh Morrissey (41))

WPG (16:47)- Sean Monahan (20) (unassisted)

WPG (19:49)- Nino Neiderreiter (16) EN (assisted by Alex Iafallo (12) & Josh Morrissey (42))

My Thoughts

When I was a kid, my family and I went to the zoo in Asheboro, NC. One time, on the drive there, we saw a mail truck blow a tire and go flipping across the highway. Despite being told not to look, I watched the truck flip over a dozen times and come to a stop on the side of the highway. There was no indication that anything was wrong until it started to tumble down the road. That's what watching the Carolina Hurricanes in the third period felt like to me. It felt like I was watching a truck's tire explode before it started tumbling non-stop for 20 minutes. The Jets are an incredible team, but they didn't win this game. The Hurricanes lost it.

The only thing that makes it hurt more is how great the Hurricanes played in the second period. Against the goalie that I think is going to win the Vezina this season, they scored three goals in less than ten minutes. It was the stars who did it, too. Martin Necas got his disallowed goal from Thursday back in almost identical fashion. The SAT line added to it. Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov set up Teuvo Teravainen, earning Svechnikov his 300th point, before Svechnikov did the same for Aho on the power play in the final minute. When you score three goals on a Vezina goalie like Connor Hellebuyck, it is unacceptable to do what the Hurricanes did in the third period.

Was Pyotr Kochetkov a little too aggressive in the third period? Absolutely. When he connects on a poke check of any kind, it's exciting. He did it to Morgan Barron in the second period. We've seen it work so many times that I've lost count. The same goes for when he comes out of the net to play a puck away from the opposition. Today, it didn't work, and it cost the Canes at least one point. I love how aggressive he is, but there's a time and place for it. In a tie game with a little over three minutes left and no momentum is probably not the time for it. This isn't to say he's the only reason for the loss. The entire team looked lost in the defensive zone in the third period. After keeping Winnipeg's top line in check for 40 minutes, they took the game over, allowing them to come back. 

Now, it's important to keep things in perspective. The world isn't coming to an end, and the Hurricanes are still a great hockey team. One loss, no matter how shocking, doesn't change that. What this does is it likely makes Don Waddell look at his team and gets him moving before Friday's trade deadline. I'm sorry to upset some people, but the Hurricanes were never going to get Elias Pettersson from the Canucks. They're more likely to go after guys like Vladimir Tarasenko, Frank Vatrano, or Pavel Buchnevich. They can't let what happened last season be replicated in April and May. They need to be aggressive at the deadline to ensure this group is in a good spot to compete for a Stanley Cup once the playoffs roll around.

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Martin Necas- 1 goal

After having one taken away in Columbus, Necas kickstarted an incredible final half of the second period by beating Hellebuyck as cleanly as possible. It's not a goal I've seen him give up much. It felt like it was only a matter of time before the Canes broke the ice. I know it didn't end up meaning anything in hindsight, but it got the guys rolling. 

2nd Star- Andrei Svechnikov- 2 assists

With his secondary assist on Teravainen's goal, Svechnikov became the third member of the 2018 class to reach 300 points. He made a good play to allow Aho an opportunity to chase the puck down. Then, he made a spectacular pass through Pionk's legs to set up Aho on the backdoor to finish the period with a crazy amount of momentum. He's going to be a major part of the stretch run, something the team sorely missed last season.

1st Star- Sebastian Aho- 1 goal, 1 assist

Going back to the Chicago game, Aho has started to come alive. He has five goals and seven points in seven games since beating the Blackhawks, including two points today. His goal this afternoon didn't require as much luck as his goal in Columbus did. Instead, it was a sick feed that set him up. He's starting to find the back of the net with consistency, making him that much more lethal.

Up Next- While the next few days are going to be a little calmer for the team, business is getting ready to pick up. The Canes don't play again until Thursday against the Canadiens. Then, they'll have the trade deadline on Friday before a back-to-back in New Jersey and at home against Calgary over the weekend.