"Duck Hunt": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 70: Hurricanes at Anaheim Ducks

With one last stop on their California trip, the Canes tried to start a new winning streak after the Kings snapped their eight-game streak on Saturday. Returning to their regular lineup after injuries and illness forced them to change things up, the group was working with a full deck against the Ducks. Frederik Andersen returned to his old stomping grounds hoping for a better effort from the group after an abysmal showing in Los Angeles. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

CAR (7:59)- Mark Jankowski (10) (Tyson Jost (2) & Brent Burns (20))

ANA (13:04)- Alex Killorn (17) (Jackson LaCombe (25))

CAR (14:37)- Jordan Martinook (13) (Shayne Gostisbehere (32) & Logan Stankoven (23))

3rd Period

CAR (2:32)- Taylor Hall (13) PP (Jackson Blake (14) & Seth Jarvis (26))

ANA (16:37)- Trevor Zegras (9) (Jacob Trouba (13) & Olen Zellweger (10))

CAR (17:13)- Taylor Hall (14) (Jesperi Kotkaniemi (20) & Jack Roslovic (13))

CAR (18:02)- Taylor Hall (15) EN (Jack Roslovic (14))

My Thoughts

We could sit here and talk about all of the deadline acquisitions because they all contributed tonight. However, Taylor Hall's effort tonight was his magnum opus in his short time with the Canes. He's deserved this type of success since joining the group, but the points hadn't been coming. Over the last eight games, Hall has five goals and nine points after just two assists in his first 12. I don't think we should be that surprised. Hall has the pedigree as a former league MVP and it feels like that version of him is starting to come out over the last two weeks. He was huge in the third period. He got the power-play goal to extend the lead early in the frame before scoring twice to complete the hat trick less than a minute apart late to seal the victory. 

Through 20 minutes, it was starting to feel like Lukas Dostal was going to steal the game like he did in Raleigh a few months ago. Frederik Andersen didn't face as much work in the first period, but he was good. Then, he let in a soft goal a few minutes after Mark Jankowski opened the scoring to tie the game. After that, Andersen turned into a cyborg. He had to with how sloppy the Canes were with the puck while leading. It was his work in the third period that was especially critical. The Ducks finished with 20 shots in the final 20 minutes, with only one getting past Andersen. His glove was magnetic. His stop on Olen Zellweger evoked memories of a similar save last season in St. Louis at the end of the season.

Another exceptional area of the Canes' game tonight was their penalty kill, though that's hardly new. The Canes put themselves in a tough spot early, having to kill a four-minute high-sticking penalty in a scoreless game. They proceeded to allow nothing to the Ducks. The penalty kill finished the night a perfect 6-for-6 while allowing six total shots. Their carry-over kill at the beginning of the third period turned out to be the most consequential. Hall began his third-period hat trick shortly after the kill, extending the Canes' lead to two goals. They've restored their place as the league's top penalty kill. 

If you ignore the atrocious effort in Los Angeles on Saturday, this was a great trip for the group. They picked up four of six possible points by beating the two teams that had to beat. There would've been no excuses for losing to either the Sharks or the Ducks. It required a balanced effort. 17 of the 20 skaters who appeared on the trip recorded a point and eight had at least two points, led by Hall's four, though tonight did a lot of the heavy lifting. Andersen was excellent in both of his starts, including his 35-save performance tonight. I still don't fault Pyotr Kochetkov much for Saturday's game. The Canes banked valuable points, putting themselves in a great spot with 12 games remaining. 

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Frederik Andersen

It would be easy to pick the guy with a hat trick, but this win wouldn't have happened without Frederik Andersen bailing his group out on numerous occasions, especially during the third period. Andersen made a pair of breakaway stops, flashed the league a few times, and made the unreal stop on Zellweger. He played almost an entire game in the final 20 minutes. He didn't let the Killorn goal dictate the rest of his night. Andersen on the road is starting to turn into a beast. 

Checking In on the Playoff Picture

New Jersey (10 Points Ahead for 2nd)

This Week's Schedule- Monday vs. Vancouver, Wednesday at Chicago, Friday at Winnipeg, Saturday at Minnesota

New York (R) (6 Points Behind NJ for 3rd)

This Week's Schedule- Tuesday at Los Angeles, Friday at Anaheim, Saturday at San Jose

New York (I) (7 Points Behind NJ for 3rd)

This Week's Schedule- Monday vs. Columbus, Wednesday vs. Vancouver, Saturday at Tampa Bay, Sunday at Carolina

Columbus (9 Points Behind NJ for 3rd)

This Week's Schedule- Monday at New York (I), Friday vs. Vancouver, Saturday at Ottawa

The Road Ahead- The Canes will begin a four-game homestand on Tuesday against the Predators. Their stay in Raleigh will be an extended one, featuring two two-day gaps between games. They'll conclude it with the first of two meetings with the Washington Capitals in April, with the first coming on April 2nd.