Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets highlights (Video)

The Carolina Hurricanes are pretty much out of the playoff hunt at this point in time, and the rest of the season’s games are really just for pride, real-game practice and tryouts for all the young guys.

In fact, just this afternoon General manager Ron Francis announced the call-up of forward Patrick Brown from the Charlotte Checkers. He is the only player on the Checkers’ roster who has played in all 66 games this season, and he ranks fourth on the team with 13 goals.

He’s a player with good size at 6’1″ and 210 pounds and played college hockey at Boston College before Canes rookie defenseman Noah Hanifin ever got there. He played seven games with the Hurricanes last season but really didn’t make an impression with zero goals and assists, 4 shots, 4 penalty minutes and a minus-4 rating. Coach Peters is hoping he does a bit better this time around.

As for the game last night, I’ll be completely honest…I didn’t see it or listen to it online. However, in looking at the Carolina Hurricanes game recap, I don’t think I missed much.

Let’s see if I have the basics down. The first period was very boring for Carolina, who got outshot 16-6. Lack stood on his head and kept his club in the hockey game.

The second period had one goal from Columbus late in the period, with a whole bunch of chippiness, pushing and shoving, a ‘fight’ and quite a few players in the penalty box.

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The third period was where the fun happened, with the Hurricanes scoring three quick goals by the 2:30 mark and Boone Jenner (best hockey name playing right now) making the game close a couple minutes later.

After that, the highlights were basically Eddie Lack saving the game for Carolina, doing pirouette-like saves to give the Canes the win.

Did I get most of that right? If you missed the game too here are the highlights and postgame quotes, courtesy of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Video Highlights

Carolina Hurricanes goal, scored by #49 Victor Rask (17), assisted by Noah Hanifin (16) and Jeff Skinner (20) at 00:52 of the third period.

From start to finish this goal was one that highlights Coach Peters’ system of quick puck movement out of our zone and a possession game going into theirs. Rask carried the puck strongly over the blueline, used the Blue Jacket defenseman as a perfect moving screen, and delivered a bullet over Sergei Bobrovsky’s shoulder.

Carolina Hurricanes goal, scored by #25 Chris Terry (8), assisted by Jaccob Slavin (15) at 02:19 of the third period.

This goal shows again that Coach Peters system is taking hold with these young players. Jaccob Slavin moved the puck quickly out of the Canes zone with a high flip-pass that landed perfectly for Chris Terry to get a breakaway (Visions of Eichel’s overttime goal flash before my eyes.)

Terry finishes it off with a veteran goal-scorer, highlight reel move on Sergei Bobrovsky.

Carolina Hurricanes goal, scored by #16 Elias Lindholm (10), assisted by Jordan Staal (25) at 02:30 of the third period.

Immediately off the ensuing faceoff the Hurricanes were able to keep possession in the Columbus zone, largely from Jordan “future Selke Award winner” Staal holding the blueline and making a perfect half shot/half pass to the front of the net. Lindholm had expertly snuck in behind the Blue Jacket defense, and directed a perfect deflection behind Bobrovsky.

Apparently Coach Peters thinks some of his defenseman would be better served with an apron and wooden spoon rather than a helmet and hockey stick. He didn’t mince his words after the game when speaking about what Lack needed to do to keep the Canes in the lead.

"“He gave us a chance, didn’t he? He was real good,” Peters said. “We need to get a little harder around our net. Too many guys were stirring a little bit of soup.”"

We, here at Cardiac Cane though, would like to give some props to young D-man Noah Hanifin and his glove work at this key moment in the game.

Eddie Lack really did keep the Hurricanes in this game quite a few times, ending up with 44 saves and a .955 save percentage, earning him one of the night’s three stars Here are a couple of his best.

Let’s just say all Caniacs should be very happy that Eddie is somewhat tall and gangling. He needed those attributes, as well as being a great goaltender to make this sequence of saves.

This next highlight was the save of the night. Scotty Hartnell, during his decade long career, hasn’t missed very many chances right on the doorstep. He’s known for his nose for the net and nice, big juicy rebounds, and more times than not he buries them.

Not last night against Lack! Watch Eddie stone him at point blank range. Call the Sports Center Top 10 desk right now.

The Hurricanes are preparing for a weekend back-to-back at the PNC Arena. They’ll host the New York Islanders on Saturday and the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.