"Nine. Nine? NINE!": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 82: Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators

For the final time during the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice. With nothing to play for tonight, this was simply a "cross our fingers and hope nothing terrible happens"-type of game for the fans at home and the coaching staff behind the bench. The Canes rolled a similar lineup from Wednesday's loss in Montreal, while Ottawa opted for a lineup mirroring their likely Game 1 matchup with the Maple Leafs on Sunday. It was a curious move from Travis Green, but maybe there was some method to the madness.

Andersen vs. Ullmark in the net.

1st Period

SBA is leveled

Ghost goes down to deny a 2-on-1

Batherson hooks Hall (1:47)

Roslovic's shot is absorbed

Roslovic's one-timer is stopped

Roslovic is stopped x3

Roslovic is called for hooking after being stopped again (2:41) (Sens' PK- 1-for-1 tonight)

Nadeau's backhand is stopped (that was fancy)

Zetterlund is blockered away

Orlov's chance is caught

The Canes kill it (1-for-1 tonight)

KK's rebound chance is denied

Jost is down on the ice (I don't know what happened)

It was friendly fire in the neutral zone with Nadeau

Commercial (6:45)

Andersen can't catch a shot

Andersen was stuck behind the net, but got bailed out

Perron is stopped

Janko's backhand misses the net

Nadeau is stopped

Gaudette's shot beats Andersen under the blocker (11:55) (was it onside?)

Stutzle is tripped (12:25)

Commercial (12:25)

Tkachuk misses the net (might've been blocked by Orlov)

The Canes kill it (2-for-2 tonight)

Commercial (14:53)

Ullmark blockers one away

Hall is called for slashing (15:42)

Andersen stops Tkachuk in the slot

Cozens snaps one home (16:35)

Ullmark squeezes Stankoven's chance

Zetterlund is stopped on a breakaway

Pinto scores on a breakaway (17:22)

KK snipes a shot (17:33)

Stutzle is stopped on a 3-on-1

SBA pops home a rebound (19:18)

Jost draws a hook at the horn (20:00)

2nd Period

Svech hammers a one-timer (0:50)

Andersen blockers Stutzle away

Jost is denied

Janko's shot is flubbed and caught

Giroux misses the net

Roslovic scores going the other way (4:05) (ties his career high)

Roslovic misses over the net

Carrier misses the net

Jost scores on a one-timer (6:32)

Commercial (6:52)

Fensore breaks up a 2-on-1

Janko took a stick up high

Andersen kicks out Sanderson

Andersen blockers one away

Ghost misses the net

Commercial (12:14)

Jost's shot is caught

Jost's one-timer is denied

Walker's shot trickles wide

Ullmark robs Robinson

Carrier is tripped (no call)

Svech is blockered away

Svech is called for hooking (14:49)

Commercial (14:49)

Tkachuk takes a stick up high (14:53)

Giroux and Stutzle are stopped

Andersen stops a chance or two

Zetterlund misses on a one-timer (Fensore might've blocked it)

The Canes kill both penalties (4-for-5 tonight)

Carrier's shot is caught

Orlov's chance is caught

Andersen denies Cousins

Gaudette can't wrap one

3rd Period

KK is robbed in the slot

Andersen kicks one out

Andersen corrals a bouncing puck

Fensore is both tripped and slashed (no call)

Andersen holds Zetterlund's offer

Gaudette scores off the draw (4:17)

KK saves a goal

Fensore is called for hooking (5:57)

Walker saves a goal

The Canes kill it (5-for-6 tonight)

Commercial (8:08)

Zetterlund misses the net

Batherson scores off a turnover (10:01)

Commercial (10:38)

Roslovic misses wide on a 2-on-1

Ghost's stick breaks, almost leading to a chance

Jost called for tripping (12:45)

Batherson guides one home (13:38)

Carrier draws a penalty (14:12)

Commercial (14:12)

Svech's shot is caught

Stankoven is blockered away

The Sens kill it (2-for-3 tonight)

Hall is kicked out

KK is stopped

Stutzle is hooked by Stillman (17:21)

Robinson is tripped (no call)

Batherson's one-timer is denied

Stutzle score by walking through the defense (18:48)

Ghost still sits since it was a delayed penalty

Scoring Summary

1st Period

OTT (11:55)- Adam Gaudette (18) (Nick Cousins (9))

OTT (16:35)- Dylan Cozens (16) PP (Drake Batherson (42) & Jake Sanderson (45))

OTT (17:22)- Shane Pinto (21) (Michael Amadio (16) & Ridly Greig (21))

CAR (17:33)- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (12) (Andrei Svechnikov (28) & Taylor Hall (23))

CAR (19:18)- Skyler Brind'Amour (1) (William Carrier (7) & Scott Morrow (5))

2nd Period

CAR (0:50)- Andrei Svechnikov (20) PP (Logan Stankoven (24) & Shayne Gostisbehere (38))

CAR (4:05)- Jack Roslovic (22) (unassisted)

CAR (6:32)- Tyson Jost (4) (Taylor Hall (24))

3rd Period

OTT (4:17)- Adam Gaudette (19) (Tim Stutzle (54))

OTT (10:05)- Drake Batherson (25) (Fabian Zetterlund (22) & Dylan Cozens (30))

OTT (13:38)- Drake Batherson (26) PP (Tim Stutzle (55) & Dylan Cozens (31))

OTT (18:48)- Tim Stutzle (24) PP (Jake Sanderson (46) & Tyler Kleven (6))

My Thoughts

If you know anything about the Carolina Hurricanes, you knew there wasn't a chance in the world that this would be a normal game. True to form, it was about as wacky as a regular season game could get. It featured wild momentum swings in both directions before the better team, which in this case was Ottawa's NHL team, won. It was wild in every sense of the word. The Canes took nine penalties, which is an issue of its own kind, featuring a nearly two-minute 5-on-3 for the Senators that was killed in the second period. We got the first NHL goal for Skyler Brind'Amour, with his dad getting a front-row seat to it. Ultimately, the more skilled team won, and that's okay.

The Canes got the message that no one was allowed to get hurt tonight. Most importantly, it was a big night for some of the veterans who played both halves of the back-to-back. Andrei Svechnikov scored his third goal since the start of February, reaching 20 goals once again. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the first time since February 1st. Jack Roslovic tied his career-high by scoring his 22nd goal after looking like he was going to run past it with his hot start. Taylor Hall had two assists. These four guys needed to step up and lead the charge during these two games. Kotkaniemi had points in both, as did Hall. Svechnikov was very good in Montreal and was rewarded tonight. Once you add the other regulars back into the mix on Sunday, we could see an offense firing on all cylinders.

I genuinely hated that Frederik Andersen started this game. The only thing that could possibly justify this decision is that Pyotr Kochetkov is starting Game 1. I understand that the team has a rotation that, seemingly, can't be broken. If this game were meant to boost Andersen's confidence heading into the playoffs, I would imagine it failed. I thought he had a great stretch between Ottawa's third and fourth goals from late in the first to early in the third. He was especially great during the 5-on-3 kill. Once the dam broke in the third, it got ugly. Again, I blame the number of times the Canes were on the penalty kill and the lineup in front of him for most of the misfortunes tonight, but this didn't feel like the move. I felt the same way about Ottawa starting Linus Ullmark and playing their entire team in a nothing game before playing a hated rival on Sunday.

There are a few ways to look at the last few weeks for the Hurricanes. For starters, the Canes knew where they were finishing in the standings weeks ago, so once they were locked in, there wasn't much to play for. That's why they could afford to rest some guys during the final games. However, the schedule is going to show that Carolina lost seven of its last eight games heading into the playoffs. You know what else isn't good? New Jersey lost four of its final five. I'm not sweating how the Canes ended the season. I'm a little bummed they didn't reach 100 points, but that's a separate issue. Everything changes on Sunday. The real fun begins then.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Andrei Svechnikov

There's no telling what tonight could do for Andrei Svechnikov once the first round begins on Sunday. He picked up a big power play goal in this one and added an assist on Jesperi Kotkaniemi's goal to get the Canes on the board. Svechnikov missed the series with the Devils in 2023 because of his knee injury. He needed to finish the season strongly, and he did just that tonight.