Carolina Hurricanes Have Big Week, Stay in Playoff Hunt
In this week’s Cardiac Cane wrap-up, the Carolina Hurricanes continue to exceed everyone’s expectations.
Regular Season 3/7 – 3/13
Summary:
They just won’t die off. The Carolina Hurricanes continue to defy the odds, scratching and clawing their way towards a playoff position. The Canes managed to get five points from a possible six this week.
While they still trail the Detroit Red Wings by five points in the standings, and have played a game more than Detroit, the Hurricanes have shown no signs of laying down. Here is how they did it this past week.
First, credit must be given where credit is due. Head Coach Bill Peters has not only kept this team afloat, but thriving. Need proof? Just look at this past week’s record and consider these facts.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes traded their captain of five years, a scoring forward in Kris Versteeg, and a veteran blueliner in John-Michael Liles. Their best player, Justin Faulk, is injured, and they are lining up with ten guys 23 years old or younger.
That team, on paper, should never compete for a playoff spot – but against all odds the Canes are. If it wasn’t for some poor performances earlier in the year, Bill Peters would be in the conversation for the Jack Adams Award for the NHL coach of the year, and the Canes would be fighting for a better seating in the post-season.
This Week’s Games:
The Canes started the week at home against the Ottawa Senators. Down 2-0 in the second period, Jeff Skinner rushed down the ice and fired a puck on net. The ensuing scramble resulted in Skinner banging a rebound home to cut the lead in half.
Soon after, Jay McClement snuck through the Sens defense and scored shorthanded, a goal Ottawa tender Andrew Hammond would like back. Ottawa ended the 2nd period with a shorty of their own, courtesy of Zack Smith.
Carolina pushed hard for the entire third period, and had to wait a long time to get their equalizer… a REALLY long time. With only 0.2 seconds left in the period (visions of Jussi Jokinen pop into my head), Skinner scored with a wicked slap shot.
A clearly unbalanced Senators team survived overtime to force a shootout. In the skills contest, Riley Nash saved the Hurricanes from a loss, and Jaccob Slavin, of all players, used some smooth hands to win the game for the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was then off to Boston for Noah Hanifin’s homecoming and an important game with the Bruins. In his first NHL game in Boston, the rookie didn’t disappoint. In front of his family and friends he notched two assists, including one on the game winning overtime tally from Phil Di Giuseppe.
The game was sent to overtime thanks to a powerplay goal from Elias Lindholm, a counterattack tally from Nathan Gerbe, and two Bruins goals from Loui Eriksson and David Pastrnak. Cam Ward was solid for the most part in net. Despite being dominated for much of the game, the Hurricanes got the win and clearly felt excited to leave B-town with two points.
Three wins in three games would have been huge for Carolina, but sadly it wasn’t to be. Up in Buffalo the Canes didn’t look as sharp as they had in the previous two games.
Despite the slow play, Di Giuseppe gave the Canes the lead in the second period. A terrible miscommunication between Ward and Michal Jordan gifted Buffalo a tying goal before the end of the period.
Tied in the third, Jack Eichel scored on the rush to give the home team the advantage. Victor Rask leveled the game once more on the powerplay thanks to a marvelous Riley Nash slap pass.
For the fourth game in the row, the Canes went to overtime. They almost made it to the shootout, but Evander Kane lobbed the puck to an open Eichel down the ice. The rookie scored on his breakaway chance with only one second to play. Perhaps it’s irony or Karma that the Carolina stole a point with less than a second left earlier in the week and potentially lost one the same way.
Cane of the Week:
Jeff Skinner – 3GP, 2G, 2A, +1
Di Giuseppe may have gotten the headlines with his overtime heroics in Boston, but Skinner was the catalyst of the Hurricanes success this past week. Skinner’s assists came from strong net drives, both of which were finished off by a trailing Di Giuseppe. His tenacity was evident all week. Even when he didn’t score he was noticeable just about every shift.
Ever since the departure of Eric Staal, a fire has been set within Jeff Skinner. Since Staal left Skinner has four goals, four assists, and is a positive five. Even crazier is that he has been defensively accountable. He just barely missed out on our Cane of the Week last week.
There is always a chance this is just another one of Skinner’s hot streaks, and he will cool down by next week. That could be true. It could also be true that Skinner sees a hole that needs filling. With Staal gone and Justin Faulk on the shelf, Skinner is looking to prove that he can be a leader for the Hurricanes going forward.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Murphy, Phil Di Giuseppe, Riley Nash, Brett Pesce
Next: Carolina Hurricanes: The Future is Very Bright
The Forecast:
Tuesday 7:00 pm @ Verizon Center against the Washington Capitals
Thursday 7:00 pm @ Consol Energy Center against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Saturday 2:00 pm @ Xcel Energy Center against the Minnesota Wild
This week is very similar to the last in terms of scheduling. A game on Tuesday, Thursday, and a matinée on Saturday. On Tuesday, the Canes will play the Capitals, who return home from a road trip. Considering the Caps have only lost eight times at home all season, this game will be tough sledding for the Hurricanes.
Next is a pivotal game against Pittsburgh. While unlikely, a win in Washington could make this game in Pittsburgh a huge match-up in the Eastern Conference play-off picture. Finally, the Minnesota Wild host the Canes. The first fixture between the two clubs ended in a 3-2 overtime victory for the Wild in Raleigh.