"All Good Things Come to an End": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 13: Hurricanes at Colorado Avalanche

The Hurricanes took their eight-game win streak a mile high to begin a quick three-game road trip. After finishing a perfect homestand, the Hurricanes' first test on their journey saw them engage with the reigning Hart Trophy winner in Denver. The Avalanche have been streaky to begin the year, but their high-powered offense is nothing to mess with. Without the benefit of the last change, the Canes needed to find a way to stop them from scoring while keeping their offense on a roll against a struggling goalie.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (9:02)- Jack Drury (2) (Jordan Martinook (4) & Jordan Staal (2))

2nd Period

CAR (4:37)- Jordan Martinook (3) (Seth Jarvis (6) & Sean Walker (1))

COL (9:13)- Cale Makar (6) SH (unassisted)

COL (10:57)- Sam Malinski (1) (Nathan MacKinnon (20) & Sam Girard (7))

CAR (12:26)- Martin Necas (8) PP (Seth Jarvis (7) & Andrei Svechnikov (9))

COL (15:49)- Nathan MacKinnon (7) (Artturi Lehkonen (2) & John Ludwig (2))

COL (16:42)- Arttuti Lehkonen (2) (Mikko Rantanen (12) & Devon Toews (3))

COL (18:49)- Mikko Rantanen (7) PP (Casey Mittelstadt (10) & Nathan MacKinnon (21))

3rd Period

CAR (2:50)- Jordan Martinook (4) (Martin Necas (15) & Sebastian Aho (10))

COL (19:10)- Mikko Rantanen (8) EN (Nathan MacKinnon (22))

My Thoughts

I was crystal clear in my preview for tonight's game that there were three guys who could turn the game on its head. For the first 29 minutes, the Hurricanes were doing an excellent job of keeping them in check. Then, Shayne Gostisbehere telegraphed a pass on the power play and the floodgates opened. Once Cale Makar wired the short-handed goal, the Avalanche were in business. That would be Makar's only point of the night, but Nathan MacKinnon decided to play like the reigning Hart winner, scoring a goal and notching three assists. Mikko Rantanen added two goals and an assist, bringing the combined total for the trio to four goals and eight points. It conjured a faint memory of Opening Night when Tampa's trio seized control during the second period. 

Most online trolls were quick to jump on Spencer Martin for allowing five goals in the second period without acknowledging how poorly the defense played in front of him. I thought Martin was great, especially for this being his first action in weeks. He made important stops at the time and did what he could to keep the Canes in the game. It's also worth mentioning that he didn't stand a chance on several of the goals. Makar's blast would've beaten 99% of NHL goalies, MacKinnon picked apart Gostisbehere and Sean Walker on his goal, leading to a 2-on-1 that was effectively a breakaway, Artturi Lehkonen redirected one that Martin couldn't have anticipated, and Rantanen went bar down right as a 5-on-3 was ending. The only goal that I thought was tough was Sam Malinski's rebound, only because I thought he could've played MacKinnon's initial shot better. Otherwise, I have no qualms with Martin's game overall.

I felt like we'd been fortunate through 12 games to have solid, albeit imperfect, officiating. Tonight, two non-calls that left me scratching my head. First, on Lehkonen's goal, it looked like Martin was impeded by MacKinnon as he was coming around the net. The Hurricanes challenged the goal for goalie interference, only for it to fail. Rod Brind'Amour said after the game that the referees claimed there was no contact with Martin. Unless we were watching different sequences, I saw clear contact with Martin's right skate within the crease by MacKinnon. Regardless, the failed challenge led to a power play that Rantanen scored on, which proved to be the game-winner. Then, during the final minute, Devon Toews clearly knocked the puck out of play from the defensive zone with his arm or glove. The referees came together and didn't call a penalty, but the replay indicated that it clearly fits the DOGPOG criteria. Notorious ruffian Jaccob Slavin was called for it earlier this season. I'm not sure how much a 6-on-4 would've changed the outcome, especially with how quickly Rantanen scored into the empty net after, but the Hurricanes should've been on the power play to end the game. 

Alas, the win streak came to an end at eight games, and not because of a few calls that didn't go our way. It was a fun winning streak that had a little of everything. There were a few blowouts, like Boston and Pittsburgh. There were some nail-biters, like Edmonton, Vancouver, and Philadelphia. Everyone pulled their weight to make it possible, putting the Canes in a good spot to compete for the Metropolitan Division crown. Even in the loss tonight, the offense was clicking. Jordan Martinook is hotter than the surface of the sun. Martin Necas, with another two points, is right there with him. Andrei Svechnikov kept his point streak alive. Seth Jarvis set up two goals. Sebastian Aho set one up, too. The big guys are playing like superstars, giving us hope that this season could be different.

When We Meet Again- The Avalanche will travel to Raleigh in less than a month, visiting the Lenovo Center on December 5th. It'll be Colorado's second stop during a five-game road trip.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Jordan Martinook

I'm not sure what Jordan Martinook did to get into this groove, but he shouldn't do anything differently for the remainder of the season. With a two-goal, three-point performance tonight, he has goals in three straight games after having none coming into this week. The Canes have nearly perfected passing from below the goal line because that's where Martinook picked up his helper to open the scoring. He also got it done defensively, making a big block at the time.

The Road Ahead- The Hurricanes will be back at it on Monday for the second game on this three-game journey, battling the Vegas Golden Knights. Assuming Mark Stone is good to go, the Canes will have their work cut out for them against one of the best lines in hockey. The final stop will be in Salt Lake City against the team formally known as the Arizona Coyotes.