The Carolina Hurricanes kicked off their 2015 preseason schedule on Monday night against the Washington Capitals.
Despite a valiant effort from starting goalie Eddie Lack, the Canes fell short to the Capitals by a final score of 2-0 at the Verizon Center.
The Hurricanes iced plenty of young talent in the preseason opener. Haydn Fleury, Brett Pesce, Phil Di Giuseppe, Sergey Tolchinsky, and Carter Sandlak all dressed for the game, all of which have yet to see time in an NHL regular season game. New comers Derek Ryan and aforementioned Eddie Lack also hit the ice for the Canes in D.C.
Lack stopped 22 of 22 shots through 40 minutes of play prior to being given the third period off. Drew MacIntyre entered the game and allowed 2 goals on 9 shots.
Tom Wilson opened the scoring 3:31 into the third period with a drag wrist shot that went top shelf into the Canes net. There were some coverage issues that left Wilson open in the slot, and he made no mistake.
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13:11 into the third period, Capitals new comer Derek Roy scored the game-sealing tally, making it a 2-0 game late. Roy capitalized off of a steal from rookie Sergey Tolchinsky in the Canes defensive zone. MacIntyre got a good piece of the quick shot in front, but it trickled past him, and it proved to be the dagger for the Hurricanes.
The two sides played an exhibition 3-on-3 period, and it ended under a minute in after a 3-on-1 rush goal from Kris Versteeg. Eric Staal and Ryan Murphy got the helpers and set up Steeger in his first preseason game as a Hurricane.
The Canes got of to a fast start against the Caps. They outshot the home team 11-4 and won a staggering 20 of 26 faceoffs in the opening period. Their fast start was quickly stumped by a lackadaisical 2nd period where they got outshot 18-6. Lack was the lone reason why the team wasn’t down by a considerable amount through 40 minutes.
With a new goalie in net for the third period, the wheels fell off a bit and the Capitals took advantage of some quality scoring chances.
Eddie Lack stole the show for the Carolina Hurricanes in his first game action with the club. He was dominant and made some ludicrous saves on the Capitals. The talk surrounding him entering the season will continue to rise with consistent good performances. His outgoing personality should also make him a favorite amongst teammates and fans.
Carolina Hurricanes
Danny Biega stood out as the best defenseman for the Hurricanes on Monday. He logged a game-high 23:25 of ice time and threw 4 shots on net. He was an effective presence in all areas, and he was noticeable, in a good way, all night. Expect him to be right in the thick of the competition on the blue line entering the season.
2014-2015 SHL MVP Derek Ryan also came out to make a statement against a quality Capitals roster. Ryan was as noticeable as any other Canes forward in his 15:46 of ice time. If he can bring offense to the table, he will undoubtedly get a very good look from the coaching staff as the regular season approaches. He played like a man who wants to be an NHLer this season.
The Carolina Hurricanes will move on from Monday’s offensive struggle, and they’ll look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road.
The Canes will ice a completely different roster tomorrow night, one that will be anchored by the likes of Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm, Cam Ward, and Noah Hanifin, among others.
Tuesday’s game is slated for a 7:00 pm start time in Pennsylvania.