"State Capital > Canada's Capital": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 16: Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators

The Hurricanes returned to Raleigh to begin a quick back-to-back against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. The Canes went 1-2-0 during their most recent road trip, including a disappointing loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday night. With injuries starting to pile up for the team, Spencer Martin assumed control of the net in the hopes of getting the Canes back on the winning side. The Senators were trying to play spoiler and hand the Hurricanes a home loss on a Saturday night in Raleighwood.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (8:00)- Jordan Martinook (6) (Jordan Staal (4))

2nd Period

CAR (19:19)- Sebastian Aho (4) PP (Martin Necas (17) & Shayne Gostisbehere (7))

3rd Period

CAR (0:43)- Jackson Blake (5) PP (Andrei Svechnikov (10) & Shayne Gostisbehere (8))

CAR (15:06)- William Carrier (2) EN (Jordan Staal (5) & Jordan Martinook (5))

My Thoughts

The Hurricanes clearly didn't like how Wednesday's loss felt because this looked like the team that had been dismantling their opponents. The power play was clicking. The penalty kill gave the Senators little room to operate. All four lines had their chances. The third line capitalized twice. The Canes met every ounce of feistiness from Ottawa. At the center of it all was Spencer Martin. The third-string goalie for the Hurricanes was the best player on the ice for 60 minutes, leading the team to their first shutout victory of the season. It got a little dicey in the third period with how much Ottawa pushed, but Martin was cool, calm, and collected. It helped that the team didn't leave him out to dry like they did in Colorado last weekend. 

There was some heated online discussion about Tim Stutzle's interference call midway through the second period to negate Ottawa's tying goal. For those who missed it, Martin did allow a goal tonight, but it was quickly taken away after the referee called Stutzle for interference. He slashed the stick out of Svechnikov's hands and pushed it to the boards before scoring. Senators fans were livid at the call, and I can understand why. However, it fit the narrative for tonight's game because this officiating crew was bad for both teams. Dmitry Orlov was called for a hook in the first period, and I'm still trying to figure out how it was a hook. They missed a clear DOGPOG penalty. Martin Necas ate an open-ice cross-check from Brady Tkachuk that went uncalled. The negated goal doesn't take away from allowing a goal late in the second and early in the third, so the referees didn't cost the Senators anything other than the tying goal.

Along with a stellar performance from the goalie, the power play was the biggest area of improvement. It wasn't perfect, as evidenced by a lackluster chance or two tonight, but it helped them put the game out of reach. The first unit's quick-strike ability came into play with their 5-on-3 goal late in the second period, scoring in just under eight seconds to ensure they would keep their man advantage. This could be a big launching point for Sebastian Aho, who used a great game against the Senators in December last season to kickstart an unreal stretch of hockey. It was also cool to see Jackson Blake pick up his first power-play goal and point tonight, filling in beautifully for Seth Jarvis while he's out. 

Rod Brind'Amour has a very interesting decision ahead of Sunday's game against the Blues. With less than 24 hours between games and three goalies to choose from, what will he do? Personally, I'm rooting for the option that gives Yaniv Perets his first career start. It feels like the least likely of the three options, but it would be the most fun for me, regardless of the final outcome. The smart move would be to give Martin the crease again. It would ensure an extra day of rest for Kochetkov before putting him back in the net on Wednesday in Philadelphia. All I know is that I'm glad I don't have to make that call.

When We Meet Again- The Senators will return to Raleigh for the second of three meetings this season on December 13th. The two teams will complete the season series in their respective regular-season finales in mid-April. 

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Spencer Martin

Picking up your first NHL shutout has to be a cool feeling. Spencer Martin put the team on his back, especially in the third period, leading them to a big win after a disappointing road trip. It was clear that Ottawa was doing everything in its power to throw him off his game. It didn't work. The best moment of the night was when he threw the puck back in Brady Tkachuk's direction after robbing him in the final minute. 

The Road Ahead- The Hurricanes will be back at it in less than 24 hours, hosting the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night. From there, it's back on the road for the Canes to play three more road contests in four days. All three games will be against Metropolitan Division opponents. It'll start with a nationally televised bout with the Flyers on Wednesday night to begin a back-to-back that ends with the Devils on Thursday. To close the road trip, they'll face the Columbus Blue Jackets.