"Friday the 13th": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 29: Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators

The Carolina Hurricanes welcomed their second visitor during this four-game homestand on Friday night. The Ottawa Senators were making their second journey to Raleigh in the last month, being served a 4-0 shutout by Spencer Martin and the Canes then. This time, they hoped for better luck as the Canes tried to string another win together. With a packed barn in Raleigh on Friday, myself included, the Caniacs were hoping for magic. Spoiler alert, it never came.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

OTT (4:04)- Shane Pinto (2) (Michael Amadio (5) & Nick Jensen (11))

3rd Period

OTT (14:45)- Nick Jensen (2) (Nick Cousins (4))

OTT (19:13)- Shane Pinto (3) EN (Nick Cousins (5) & Michael Amadio (6))

My Thoughts

I need to start by apologizing to all of the Caniacs out there hoping to see the Hurricanes win tonight. I attended my first game in person in a year and a half tonight, which is likely why they lost. I'll shoulder some of the responsibility because that's the type of person I am. It wasn't all on me, though. The Canes and the Senators might have also said something about it. One forward line beat the Hurricanes, and it wasn't the one I would've expected. The trio of Pinto, Amadio, and Cousins combined for two goals and six points, while Jensen added a goal and an assist. Add 32 stops from Linus Ullmark and it was the recipe for success on Friday night.

While the final score doesn't look good, the first two periods were thoroughly entertaining. The Canes had the better of the play for most of it, but both goalies had to be on their A-game. Ullmark made a few early stops that made it feel like it was going to be a tough ride, while Pyotr Kochetkov did everything he could to keep the Canes from falling behind more than a goal after Pinto opened the scoring in the second period. Both teams had power plays that failed. Shayne Gostisbehere made Pinto lose his jock strap. William Carrier was excellent. It was a tight 40 minutes with neither team looking like they were going to run away with the game.

Kochetkov deserved better than the result of tonight's game. The Jensen goal late in the third period was a backbreaker after a successful penalty kill, so it would've been nice to keep that out. However, the Canes didn't get anything going once he made it to the bench for the extra attacker. It's as if they wasted all of their best chance in the first two periods, leaving nothing for when they really needed it late in the game. Kochetkov's best work came during the kill in the second period. After stopping Tim Stutzle alone in the left dot, Kochetkov flashed his pad on Drake Batherson's rebound chance, getting just enough to keep it out. 

I want to close out tonight's game by diving into a controversial topic that shouldn't be controversial. Tonight was Pride Night in Raleigh, meaning some of the festivities centered around supporting the LGBTQ+ community and helping them feel included in the hockey community. I was actually unaware of the occasion until I saw the team change their profile picture on Twitter. Like the bonehead I am, I looked at the comments under the post, seeing the same hateful rhetoric from a select few that circulate every season. Honestly, it's tiresome. I don't buy the "religious reasons" excuse for why people don't want it part of the Theme Night rotation. It doesn't change the game on the ice. It's the same teams playing under the same rules, like the other 81. I believe that everyone should be able to celebrate and enjoy the game this beautiful game, regardless of race, gender identity, nationality, or any other label that we place on ourselves. If you don't believe that, then you might be the problem.

When We Meet Again- The final meeting will be the regular-season finale in Ottawa on April 17. Hopefully, the Hurricanes will have it figured out by then.

The Road Ahead- The homestand has two more visitors coming to town, beginning with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. While speculating is futile under this regime, I would like to see Dustin Tokarski get a turn in the net. Sunday would be the perfect chance with Kochetkov starting the last five games. The homestand ends on Tuesday against the Islanders before three games on the road before Christmas.