Thoughts From My Couch

The Hurricanes turned back the clock on Thursday night for their annual Whalers Night, celebrating with throwback jerseys and retro fashion as the Buffalo Sabres came to town to begin a three-game homestand. The Canes were desperately hoping for some good fortune after back-to-back rough nights coming out of the two-week break. The Sabres have been feeling it lately, winning six of their last seven games. The home crowd hoped to be serenaded by Brass Bonanza all night. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (6:09)- Jordan Staal (11) (Jordan Martinook (17)) CAR (7:57)- Sebastian Aho (21) (Mikko Rantanen (42)) CAR (9:41)- Mikko Rantanen (27) PP (Andrei Svechnikov (25) & Shayne Gostisbehere (25)) BUF (19:04)- Alex Tuch (21) PP (unassisted) 2nd Period CAR (15:52)- Taylor Hall (10) (Jack Roslovic (10) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (16)) 3rd Period BUF (1:15)- JJ Peterka (17) (Ryan McLeod (17) & Jack Quinn (13)) CAR (17:49)- Seth Jarvis (23) EN (unassisted) My Thoughts It took four seconds for th...

There wasn't much to the good for the Hurricanes on Tuesday night in Montreal. They failed to find the scoreboard, being shut out 4-0 by Samuel Montembeault and the Canadiens. Nick Suzuki and Patrik Laine had a goal and two assists each to pace the Habs offense, while Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson added the other goals. The Canes hit a pair of posts on the power play and that's as close as they would get. It was another disappointing game in which the Canes failed to generate much offense for 60 minutes. It's in the running for the most frustrating performance of the season. The Opponent: Buffalo Sabres (24-27-5, 53 Points- 8th in the Atlantic Division) Last Meeting: The Hurricanes were in Buffalo on January 15th to meet the Sabres for the first time this season. The Sabres led 3-0 after 40 minutes behind a pair of goals from Ryan McLeod and a Dylan Cozens marker. The Canes tried to claw their way back into the game, getting an early Jaccob Slavin goal and a late Martin ...

After a rough return from the break, the Canes tried to get back on track as they visited Montreal for the first time this season. In need of a shot of adrenaline, Rod Brind'Amour opted to change the lines up, splitting Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen to try and get the two going. The Canes entered Montreal on Tuesday on a nine-game winning streak against the Habs, hoping to reach double digits with their first win after the break. Scoring Summary 1st Period MTL (8:05)- Juraj Slafkovsky (10) (Jayden Struble (5) & Nick Suzuki (40)) MTL (17:37)- Patrik Laine (14) (Alexander Carrier (17) & Alex Newhook (9)) 2nd Period MTL (10:04)- Nick Suzuki (16) PP (Patrik Laine (7) & Cole Caufield (24)) 3rd Period MTL (10:22)- Lane Hutson (4) PP (Patrik Laine (8) & Nick Suzuki (41)) My Thoughts We've reached a day I've been dreading for a long time. The Montreal Canadiens have finally beaten the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time in almost exactly five years. In fact, i...

The Carolina Hurricanes returned from the break in less-than-spectacular fashion, allowing four goals in the first period to fall into a deep hole almost immediately. Alex Steeves, Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf, and John Tavares each got one past Pyotr Kochetkov in the opening 20 minutes, though the fault primarily sat with the group in front of him. After a scoreless second period, the Canes' offense finally decided to join the fun. Shayne Gostisbehere finally broke through Alex Stolarz, finishing a perfect pass from Sebastian Aho. Then, Andrei Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin struck 20 seconds apart to add tension to a game that had been very one-sided. Unfortunately, the Canes couldn't find the tying goal, conceding empty-net goals to Auston Matthews and Holmberg in a 6-3 loss in Toronto. Svechnikov and Gostisbehere finished with a goal and an assist each in the loss.  The Opponent: Montreal Canadiens (26-26-5, 57 Points- 7th in the Atlantic Division) While they sit near the bott...

Hurricanes Hockey returned to the airwaves on Saturday night as the Canes returned from the break in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. With Seth Jarvis riding high after a 4 Nations victory for Canada, the Canes hoped it would translate into success for the team. The group played well in their final game before the break, exploding for seven goals to break a three-game skid in a 7-3 win against Utah. With the whole gang back together, the Canes sought a productive start to their stretch run. Scoring Summary 1st Period TOR (2:50)- Alex Steeves (1) (John Tavares (25)) TOR (3:29)- Pontus Holmberg (3) (unassisted) TOR (6:39)- David Kampf (4) (Steven Lorentz (8) & Alex Steeves (1)) TOR (15:06)- John Tavares (22) (William Nylander (23) & Pontus Holmberg (7)) 2nd Period None 3rd Period CAR (12:25)- Shayne Gostisbehere (7) (Sebastian Aho (36) & Andrei Svechnikov (24)) CAR (14:46)- Andrei Svechnikov (18) (Mikko Rantanen (41) & Shayne Gostisbehere (24)) CAR (15:06)- Jaccob Slavin ...

It has been two weeks since the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice as a complete unit. It was February 8th when the team tried to snap their three-game slide against the Utah Hockey Club after a disappointing road trip through Winnipeg and Minnesota. With only one goal in the two games, the Canes needed a hot start. They jumped ahead midway through the opening frame after Jalen Chatfield finished a 2-on-1 with Jordan Staal. Utah got it back late in the period after Josh Doan dragged and snapped one on the power play. Early in the second, Seth Jarvis began his takeover by burying a one-timer on the power play. Jarvis' pressure on Karel Vejmelka forced him to turn the puck over to Sebastian Aho, who finished a backhand to make it 3-1. Clayton Keller didn't let Utah go down without a fight, stripping Dmitry Orlov of the puck before finishing a breakaway. Jarvis and Aho connected again short-handed with the former working hard to set up the latter for a goal. To finish the period, Ja...

Atlantic Division The defending champs continue to be the class of the Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers hold a three-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the break, though Toronto has two games in hand. Sam Reinhart has 31 goals after scoring a career-high 57 last year, while Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov have eclipsed 50 points. Toronto is breathing down their necks, led by Mitch Marner's 55 assists and 71 points. They've been able to overcome injuries to Auston Matthews (45 points in 40 games) thanks to Marner, William Nylander (33 goals), and Matthew Knies' breakout (21 goals). Rounding out the Top 3 is Tampa Bay, who've not lost a step after letting Steven Stamkos walk. Jake Guentzel has plugged in and provided a ton of offense next to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.  If the season ended at the break, both Wild Card teams would be from the Atlantic, with Ottawa and Detroit holding off stiff competition to occupy those positions. The only team...

With the NHL either unwilling or unable to send its players to the Winter Olympics in recent years, we've been craving a best-on-best tournament for a long time. Fortunately, we got one this year, in lieu of the traditional All-Star festivities. While it does feel a little empty without Russian representation, players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland are coming together for the 4 Nations Face-Off, a round-robin tournament to determine the best in the world...among those four. Showcasing the very best from all four nations, here is my look at the tournament, with previews for all four teams and predictions for each of the seven contests. Finland The Finnish hockey community likely let out a sigh of relief when they learned that Mikko Rantanen would be in Montreal after missing Carolina's final game before the break with an injury. With all the negative injury news surrounding their team, they couldn't afford to lose one of their biggest offensive weapons. To call t...

For the last time before the two-week break, the Canes took the ice in front of the home fans on Saturday afternoon. Beaten, battered, and throwing up, this group needs this break terribly. Entering on a three-game skid, every Caniac in attendance hoped they could will their group to two points against the visiting Utah Hockey Club. While in a good spot heading into the 4 Nations break, two points would go a long way in easing the rising frustrations amongst the fans and the locker room. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (10:09)- Jalen Chatfield (5) (Jordan Staal (18) & Amdrei Svechmikov (22)) UHC (17:35)- Josh Doan (3) PP (Mattias Maccelli (10) & Michael Carcone (7)) 2nd Period CAR (6:35)- Seth Jarvis (21) PP (Brent Burns (16) & Andrei Svechnikov (23)) CAR (8:35)- Sebastian Aho (19) (unassisted) UHC (10:19)- Clayton Keller (19) (unassisted) CAR (14:14)- Sebastian Aho (20) SH (Seth Jarvis (22) & Jalen Chatfield (8)) CAR (19:15)- Seth Jarvis (22) (Jackson Blake (8)) 3rd Per...

The Carolina Hurricanes are in a serious rut. They've lost three straight games, and the offense has gone dry, scoring just three total goals over the last 180 minutes. They fell 2-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night despite putting 38 shots on Filip Gustavsson. The Canes played from behind early after Marat Khusnutdinov set up Yakov Trenin in transition less than three minutes into the game. The 1-0 score remained until early in the third period. In the first minute, Vinnie Hinostroza redirected a shot off the post that Frederik Andersen inadvertently knocked into the net as he tried to jump on it. The Canes wouldn't break Gustavsson's shutout bid until the final few minutes. With Andersen on the bench, Seth Jarvis made a great pass from below the goal line to Sebastian Aho, who spun and fired from the slot to get the Canes on the board. They pushed for the tying goal, but it never came. Minnesota held on for the 2-1 win, dealing the Canes a third consecutive defeat....

Playing the final road game before the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canes needed to get back to their winning ways after dropping their last two in regulation. Scoring has been scarce during this mini-streak, so a big game from the offense was expected. Minnesota has been struggling, too, being shut out in their last two games. Without their top scorer and one of their biggest agitators, the Wild would need the same trio responsible for their win in Raleigh to be sharp. Scoring Summary 1st Period MIN (2:55)- Yakov Trenin (5) (Marat Khusnutdinov (4) & Zach Bogosian (8)) 2nd Period None 3rd Period MIN (0:51)- Vinnie Hinostroza (1) (Jared Spurgeon (12) & Jonas Brodin (13)) CAR (17:12)- Sebastian Aho (18) (Seth Jarvis (21) & Andrei Svechnikov (21)) My Thoughts The Canes are fine. The world isn't over. Life will go on. Yadda, yadda, yadda. The Canes played a solid road game. They just couldn't score goals. I'm sure it's starting to take a toll on the group in the lock...

The Carolina Hurricanes are hoping to sweep Tuesday's loss to the Jets under the rug after being shut out 3-0 to begin their short road trip. They had a goal disallowed in the first period for goalie interference and never beat Eric Comrie again. Meanwhile, Winnipeg scored on the power play late in the first and early in the second to put themselves ahead 2-0. Nino Niederreiter and Neal Pionk were responsible for the goals. Winnipeg had a goal disallowed for a kicking motion in the third period but was on the right side of a goalie interference decision to extend their lead to 3-0 after the third goal had been waved off. Comrie finished the night with 29 saves as the Jets flew through the Hurricanes despite little help from their top line.  The Opponent: Minnesota Wild (31-19-4, 66 Points- 3rd in the Central Division) Last Meeting: The Wild came into Raleigh in early January and shut out the Hurricanes, 4-0, behind a 21-save performance from Filip Gustavsson. One line did all the d...

The final week before the break brings the Canes to Winnipeg for their yearly meeting with the Jets. After having their seven-game point streak snapped on Saturday, the Canes hoped the two days in between games would allow some of their ailments to heal before facing the Western Conference's best team. Anchored by the best goalie and one of the best forward lines in the league, the Canes sought to sour out of Winnipeg with two points against the Jets.  Scoring Summary 1st Period WPG (19:18)- Nino Neiderreiter (14) PP (Alex Iafallo (11) & Vladislav Namestnikov (14)) 2nd Period WPG (3:13)- Neal Pionk (8) PP (Cole Perfetti (22) & Nino Niederreiter (15)) 3rd Period WPG (16:19)- Rasmus Kupari (5) (Mason Appleton (10) & David Gustafsson (4)) My Thoughts Writing this one Wednesday morning, I've had a few hours to sleep on last night's game and there are two things that immediately stand out about the 60 minutes we watched. First, the Winnipeg Jets are an incredibly goo...

The Carolina Hurricanes dropped a tight decision to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, having their seven-game point streak snapped in a 4-2 loss. The Canes scored first, getting a perfect deflection from Jesperi Kotkaniemi after Sean Walker ripped one from the point. The Kings responded late in the period, taking advantage of a turnover by Dmitry Orlov as he was hooked to the ice. Philip Danault scooped up the puck and snapped it over Frederik Andersen's blocker to draw even. The Kings won the game in the second period. Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala scored hard-working goals to put the Kings up 3-1 after 40 minutes. Eric Robinson cut into Los Angeles' lead by scoring a breakaway goal early in the third, earning Brent Burns his 900th NHL point in the process. However, Fiala scored his second of the night to restore Los Angeles' two-goal lead and snap their four-game losing streak behind a great  The Opponent: Winnipeg Jets (37-14-3, 77 Points- 1st in the Central Divisi...

A bug has caught the Hurricanes as they play their third straight game with questions throughout their lineup. Despite alluding to several game-time decisions for tonight's lineup, only one Hurricane would miss the game. Andrei Svechnikov was unable to play because of an upper-body injury. However, this meant Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall were good to go after missing Thursday's game. It also meant Hall would skate in front of the home crowd for the first time. Against a Kings team playing the final game of a disappointing road trip, the Canes tried to make it a long flight back to California. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (15:22)- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (11) (Sean Walker (9) & Shayne Gostisbehere ()) LAK (17:57)- Philip Danault (5) (unassisted) 2nd Period LAK (1:03)- Trevor Moore (7) (Philip Danault (20) & Vladislav Gavrikov (15)) LAK (16:58)- Kevin Fiala (17) (Quinton Byfield (13) & Drew Doughty (1)) 3rd Period CAR (5:44)- Eric Robinson (12) (Brent Burns (15) & J...

The Carolina Hurricanes had plenty to celebrate on Thursday night when they bested the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2. Before the game, the organization celebrated Frederik Andersen reaching 500 games in the net, which he achieved last Monday night in Chicago. The game also marked Mikko Rantanen's first home game since being acquired and Ryan Suzuki's first NHL game after Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall were declared out with an illness. The penalty kill would start the scoring as Seth Jarvis finished a pass from Juha Jaaska late in the first. Ilya Mikhayev would answer, burying a breakaway less than two minutes later to tie it. Rantanen would give the home crowd something to cheer about, scoring his first as a Hurricane after an incredible pass from Jack Roslovic. Just 67 seconds later, Jaccob Slavin pounced on a rebound after Jackson Blake hit the crossbar, doubling the lead. Connor Bedard would draw Chicago closer early in the third, but that would be it for the Blackhawks. Pyotr Koc...