Carolina Hurricanes vs Colorado Avalanche: Three Thoughts After 1-0 Win

The Carolina Hurricanes grinded out a big 1-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche in overtime last night. Here are three thoughts about the game.

The Hurricanes picked up their second win of the season in a low scoring, close game against the Avs in Denver on Wednesday.

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There was a lot to take away from the club’s effort in route to the win. They played a solid neutral zone game and limited high quality scoring opportunities from the Avalanche. Cam Ward also came up with some big stops when they needed it.

The Hurricanes did struggle to burry some good opportunities. They had chances to end the game prior to overtime, but they ultimately needed the extra 5 minutes to pick up a big cross-conference win.

1. Cam Ward has won the #1 goalie job.

Cam Ward followed up a great effort in Saturday’s loss to the Capitals with an even better performance against the Colorado Avalanche.

The long-time Carolina Hurricanes back-stop stopped all 26 shots he faced against a very talented Colorado team, including this massive save on Matt Duchene.

"Oh boy, what a save! #CARvsCOLhttps://t.co/6XoH6qLI5a— NHL (@NHL) October 22, 2015"

Ward is continuing to gain confidence in net, and the team also seems to be gaining confidence playing in front of him.

Expect Ward to get the start again against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night. If he picks up yet another win, it will only continue to build confidence for him and the club, proving that he is still a very valuable asset for the team.

If there was any question as to who the starting goalie on this team was, Cam Ward answered it against the Avs.

2. Noah Hanifin is gaining offensive confidence.

Early in Noah Hanifin’s rookie campaign, he seemed a bit reluctant to make plays offensively, potentially in fear that he would make a mistake, but now he is consistently showing his offensive upside out on the ice.

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Whether it was crisp passes, clean zone entries, or getting shots through defenders, Hanifin did it against the Avalanche on Wednesday. He was a big difference make for the team’s offense, and that will need to continue as this season and his career progress.

Hanifin is still consistently seeing 14-17 minutes of ice time per game, but eventually that will go up, and when it does, expect the reigning 5th overall draft pick to be able to make the most of the opportunity. This guys is extremely special and extremely skilled, and he is beginning to show it more and more every single game.

3. Jordan Staal is getting there.

Offensive confidence from Jordan Staal has been a hot topic so far this season, but the big two-way forward has continued to make strides in the right direction, and he made some more good steps last night.

He is starting to use his body to his advantage by getting in front of the net and driving the net when he has the puck on his stick.

Here is a good example of that from last night.

Here, Staal comes in flying up the right wing, keeping the puck away from the Colorado defender on the rush. He is using his body to his advantage while starting the scoring chance.

Staal starts to make his move towards the net. He starts to make contact with the defender, but he still has the puck in a position far away from anyone on the Avalanche.

He then makes his finishing move towards the net, but he gets taken out by the two Colorado defensemen and the puck ends up heading wide of Semyon Varlamov.

Eventhough this shot didn’t get on net, it created a good scoring opportunity, and it all happened because Jordan Staal used his body, speed and skill to his advantage to create a play.

If this is a one-on-one situation, it is very likely that Staal gets a shot on net and potentially a goal.

There was a lot to take away from the 1-0 win over the Avalanche on Wednesday. It is a big win, and it gives the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1-0 record on the road trip before they go to the West Coast for the weekend and take on the Kings and Sharks.

Next: First Win of the Year Brightens a Dull Week in Carolina