The Carolina Hurricanes went to Ottawa looking to gain two points and bury the Senators in some of the snow that had fallen on Canada’s Capital.
That’s not exactly how it worked out for the Hurricanes. Although they came back from one-goal deficits in each of the first two periods, they couldn’t pull it off in the final stanza, and come home in much the same playoff position they were in before heading north.
The Canes had one of those games where they weren’t ready to start when the first puck dropped. Their legs were slow, the puck wasn’t moving and they weren’t controlling the pace of play like they have been over the last few games. When they did get rolling they were able to come back from two one-goal deficits in the first and second periods, but ran out of gas in the end. The Senators Cody Cecil potted the game winner early in the third, and Mark Stone sealed the deal with an empty-netter with one second left.
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Scoring Summary
1st Period
OTT Goal (7:36) – Alex Chiasson (4), assisted by Chris Lazar (11), Nicholas Paul (1)
CAR Goal (19:37) – Jordan Staal (14), assisted by Joakim Nordstrom (12), John-Michael Liles (9)
2nd Period
OTT Goal (5:39) – Zack Smith (13), assisted by Chris Neil (7), Erik Karlsson (53)
CAR Goal (10:20) – Riley Nash (7), assisted by Elias Lindholm (19), Victor Rask (20)
3rd Period
OTT Goal (3:50) – Cody Ceci (7), assisted by Jean-Gabriel Pageau (11)
OTT Goal (19:59) ET – Mark Stone (18), assisted by Erik Karlsson (54), Craig Anderson (2)
Three Stars
1st Star – Craig Anderson, G (OTT) – 32 saves, .938 SV%, 1 A
2nd Star – Cody Ceci, D (OTT) – 1 goal, 2 shots, 2 hits, 18:09 TOI
3rd Star – Nicholas Paul, LW (OTT) – 1 assist, 1 shot, 1 hit, 11:43 TOI
Recap:
There really isn’t much more to report about this game. The Canes didn’t start on time, didn’t have their legs under them for the whole game, and couldn’t move the puck like they have in the last two outings.
"“We made enough mistakes tonight to make it harder than it needed to be.” Coach Bill Peters on the Canes performance in Ottawa, courtesy Michael Smith, CarolinaHurricanes.com"
There are a few overall positives to take away from this performance. They did come back on two occasions from one-goal deficits to tie the game. And they would have been going to overtime with a point in their pocket if the the puck hadn’t pinballed two or three times before getting behind Eddie Lack on Ceci’s goal in the third.
And then there’s Jordan Staal. He has been one of the biggest reasons for the Canes recent surge, with very impressive numbers. Staal now has four points in his last three games, eight points in his last six games and 20 points in his last 18 games.
Along with his personal performance, his “second line” with mates Andrej Nestrasil, and Joakim Nordstrom has combined for 31 points (11g, 20a) over the past month, and the line has been responsible for almost 30% of the teams total goals over that period. Jordan has been averaging a point per game with four goals and ten assists.
The key for this the Canes team is to get more than just Jordan Staal’s line – and whatever other line he double-shifts on – producing at near the same level. The goaltending situation is starting to settle down as both Ward and Lack are back on the bench, and their numbers are improving. The defense, even with Faulk on injured reserve for a bit longer, is playing well and taking care of business in their end and the neutral zone. If they want to keep any hope alive for a playoff berth, and some post-season wins, the other three lines need to step up their games.
The Hurricanes return to Raleigh for a Friday night match up with the San Jose Sharks, who sit comfortably 3rd in the Pacific Division, seven points clear of the Arizona Coyotes. Again the Hurricanes and Caniacs will be looking for a win, but they will also be watching the other games, which include ALL of Carolina’s nearest playoff rivals.
Stay tuned and hang on! Go Canes!