"Sebastian Aho: Wolf Tamer": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 61: Hurricanes vs. Calgary Flames

The Canes and the Flames entered play on Sunday looking to get back on track after suffering losses on Saturday. Carolina stayed in the fight against the Oilers last night, but fell short in their comeback attempt, while Calgary was shut out by Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers in Sunrise. With both tired from yesterday, it would be up to the goalies to drag their teams into the fight. With both teams desperate for wins, it was destined to be some great dinnertime fun in Raleigh on Sunday night.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

CAR (19:25)- Jaccob Slavin (6) (Jackson Blake (10))

3rd Period

CGY (7:06)- Nazem Kardi (21) PP (Jonathan Hubderdeau (22) & MacKenzie Weegar (27))

Overtime

CAR (3:16)- Sebastian Aho (23) (Jaccob Slavin (17) & Jackson Blake (11))

My Thoughts

Before the game, I declared the goalie battle would be the most important battle of tonight's contest. We witnessed one of the best goalie duels of the season in Raleigh between Pyotr Kochetkov and Dustin Wolf. Wolf faced double the shots Kochetkov did, though Kochetkov faced a lot of high-quality chances in the second and third periods after only facing one in the first. Wolf was the only reason the Flames earned a point because they were a step behind for a good portion of the game. When the Flames were dangerous, Kochetkov stood tall. Calgary's only goal came on the power play after a 5-on-3 had expired. It was their first goal in forever after back-to-back shutouts in Tampa and Sunrise. The Calgary netminder was excellent, but Kochetkov won the battle tonight.

It took them until the final minute of the second period to score a goal, but the Canes got to play from in front tonight. Taylor Hall won't get a point for his play, but he laid a legal hit on Nazem Kadri along the boards to force the puck free and kickstart the play. American's defender jumped into the play, receiving Jackson Blake's pass as he crashed into the net to get the Canes on the board with 34 seconds left. Kadri was furious he didn't draw a penalty, earning an unsportsmanlike penalty for likely saying a word or two that he shouldn't. He'd atone for his mistake by scoring the lone Calgary goal to tie the game, but the Canes finally scored first and didn't have to worry about chasing.

Sebastian Aho in overtime is a marvel to behold. He was the hero again tonight, unleashing a wicked one-timer on Slavin's pass to beat Wolf and earn the second point. Along with extending his franchise record for career overtime winners, Aho set the new mark for a single season by notching his fifth of the campaign. This also tied him for the NHL record with four other players. Aho had been stymied all night by Wolf, finally breaking through on his sixth shot. He played an excellent game tonight, as did Slavin and Blake, who had two points each. The Canes controlled overtime the entire time, keeping the puck for almost the entirety of the 3:16 before the Aho goal.

If there's one area the Canes struggled tonight, it was on the power play (again). While they were producing chances, they failed to score during their SIX chances, including a double-minor late in regulation. They moved the puck well. They just weren't finding clean lanes to take good shots. It was a massive step up from last night's effort when they allowed a short-handed goal and looked lost every time they took the ice. Still, 0-for-6 is an ugly number. It simply has to be better, but I have no clue how to fix it.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Jaccob Slavin

I will now be referring to Jaccob Slavin as America's defender every chance I get. Tonight, Slavin was great in all three zones, recording a pair of points, along with three blocked shots and numerous defensive gems. His high hockey IQ led to the first goal as he jumped into the play and won a race to the net. Then, his perfect interchange with Sebastian Aho confused the tired group of Flames defenders and allowed the superstar to win the game.

Checking In on the Playoff Picture

Washington (10 Points Ahead for 1st)- The Capitals now have a game in hand over the Canes as their lead in the division is ten points. They'll play on Monday night in Ottawa.

New Jersey (2 Points Behind for 2nd)- Entering the third period scoreless, the Devils conceded a pair of power-play goals to Vegas in a 2-0 loss tonight. The big news concerns Jack Hughes, who left late in the game after a rough crash into the boards that might've resulted in a broken arm.  

Columbus (6 Points Behind for 2nd)- After hosting and winning the Stadium Series game, the Blue Jackets will be back in action on Tuesday against the Lightning.

The Road Ahead- The Canes will hit the road for a quick trip to Detroit to face the Red Wings for the first time on Tuesday. They'll return to the Lenovo Center to begin a four-game homestand by hosting the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. The Jets, Lightning, and Red Wings will follow to complete their stay.