2023-24 Regular Season, Game 80: Hurricanes at St. Louis Blues (Postgame)

The Hurricanes are entering the final stretch as they play Game #80 tonight against the St. Louis Blues. They've won their last three games, including a dominant 4-1 win over the Bruins on Tuesday night. St. Louis continues to fight for their postseason lives, needing these two points badly to keep up with the Golden Knights for a Wild Card spot. Both teams are getting hot as the season comes to an end. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

STL (17:34)- Zach Dolduc (5) (assisted by Nick Leddy (24) & Robert Thomas (59))

CAR (18:59)- Jordan Martinook (14) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (31))

2nd Period

STL (5:41)- Jordan Kyrou (30) PP (assisted by Pavel Buchnevich (36) & Robert Thomas (60))

CAR (8:07)- Seth Jarvis (31) (assisted by Brady Skjei (34) & Frederik Andersen (1))

3rd Period

CAR (7:53)- Jaccob Slavin (6) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (53) & Tony DeAngelo (8))

CAR (17:20)- Jake Guentzel (29) EN (unassisted)

CAR (19:10)- Jake Guentzel (30) EN (assisted by Seth Jarvis (34) & Jaccob Slavin (31))

My Thoughts

Whenever we get to see a player make his Hurricanes or NHL debut, I always go into the game hoping to see great things. We got a look at it this season when Vasily Ponomarev debuted against the Capitals or when Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov made their debuts after the trade deadline. I don't think there is a debut I have looked forward to more than Scott Morrow's in recent memory. His signing felt like such a big deal, so to see him in the lineup so soon was awesome. I'm sure I'll feel the same way when Bradly Nadeau and Jackson Blake eventually make their debuts. Morrow made the most of his time in his first game, recording three shots and a hit in 13:35 of ice time. He didn't look lost at any point, providing a possible glimpse into what we could expect in the future. 

By all accounts, this was a good win for the group. While by no means perfect, the Hurricanes came out and got the job done, pulling away in the third period. They fell into one-goal holes twice but were never in that hole for very long, trailing for less than four minutes of game time. Their responses were quick and poignant. Seth Jarvis' goal in the second period was especially sharp. It was a wicked snipe from just inside of the left dot that beat Jordan Binnington cleanly. Along with Jake Guentzel scoring twice into the empty net and Sebastian Aho setting up the game-winner in the third, the top line combined for another five points.

This game was all about moments when the Hurricanes capitalized on missed chances by the Blues. On their first goal, Kasperi Kapanen had just missed a shot wide in transition, allowing the Canes to push it the other way, leading to Jordan Martinook getting the game back even. In the second period, Pavel Buchnevich wasn't able to control the puck with Frederick Andersen out of position. Instead of a 3-1 lead for the Blues, Jarvis comes up the ice and ties it. The game-winning goal came moments after Brandon Saad was denied during the 4-on-4. Jaccob Slavin eventually gets the Canes ahead 3-2, and they'd never look back. 

Speaking of moments, Andersen's save on Zach Dean was arguably the biggest of the night. He had no business making that great a save, flashing the leather on Dean to keep the game scoreless early in the night. It would be the catalyst for another great night for the Great Dane. Like many of the team's games lately, Andersen's night was much more about the quality of his stops than the quantity. He made some larcenous stops, though none was bigger than the one on Dean. I'd imagine Andersen will be in the net to begin the postseason, though Pyotr Kochetkov will be ready to go at a moment's notice. If I were a betting man, I'd assume Kochetkov would get the start in Chicago, and Spencer Martin would be in the net for the finale against Columbus.

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Seth Jarvis- 1 goal, 1 assist

Not satisfied with an even 30 goals, Jarvis added to his total by scoring the Canes' biggest goal of the night to tie the game in the second period. He has now scored in two straight after a quiet three-game stretch. Jarvis finished his night by setting up Guentzel's second empty-net goal, while he and Guentzel both ended as +4 for the game as the top line's dominance continued. 

2nd Star- Frederik Andersen- 29 saves, 1 assist

Along with his excellent performance in the net, Andersen picked up his first point of the season, recording the secondary assist on Jarvis' goal. It looked like he might've deserved a helper on Martinook's goal, but I guess Kapanen missed wide instead of being blockered away. This stretch from Andersen probably rivals any of the hottest stretches we've ever seen from a goalie in franchise history. 

1st Star- Jaccob Slavin- 1 goal, 1 assist

Did you realize that Slavin has multi-point games in three of his last four? I know I didn't. With his multi-point performance tonight, Slavin has done so in back-to-back games, giving him seven points in four games. Not only did he score the goal that won the game, he drew the penalty that helped the Canes kill a penalty to set up the 4-on-4. He earned an assist on Guentzel's second goal, completing a strong two-way game for the defenseman.

Postseason Watch- The Hurricanes have pulled within a point of the New York Rangers for the division crown and the President's Trophy. New York lost at home to the Flyers on Thursday night, and they'll be hosting the Islanders on Saturday. If the season ended today, the Islanders would be the Canes' opponent in the first round, riding a six-game win streak into their battle with the Rangers, who would put a stranglehold on the division and President's Trophy if they picked up two points. The playoff picture in the Eastern Conference is still very fluid, with three teams within a point of the Penguins for the second Wild Card spot.

Up Next- We're down to just two games this season against two of the worst teams in the league. They'll be in Chicago on Sunday night to face Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks before finishing the regular season on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. We'll wait with anticipation to see if the three newest addition to the team will make their NHL debuts before the end of the season.