Carolina Hurricanes Recap: Where Was This Team A Month Ago?

Looking to end a five-game losing streak, the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the Ottawa Senators at home

Boy this game started out fast. For the first time as of late, the Canes showed that extra step, starting from the first faceoff. From the start, the Canes pushed hard and were rewarded with Jordan Staal scoring just a 1:19 into this game. The excitement didn’t stop there where the Carolina Hurricanes kept the pressure up and at the 15:00-minute mark the Canes might have played the best 5 minutes of a first period that I have seen all season.

At the 13:12 mark a very serious play happened when Victor Rask while being called offsides, let up on the play and gliding, then well after the whistle Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki at a dangerous time, checks Rask which send him into the boards awkwardly. What surprises this writer is that no penalty was called. Check out the video below:

2nd Period

The beginning of the 2^nd started with the Senators gaining momentum and catching up in shots. Although the Canes ended the 1^st with a shot margin of 12, at one point it was down to 8. The Carolina Hurricanes woke up at the 12:00 mark with a barrage of shots but no goal. The pressure did earn the Canes a power. The call was on Zach Smith for tripping. The Canes had a very good

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looking power play compared to recent man advantages, but get nothing from in it.

At the halfway point of the game, Eddie Lack started to look more at ease in the net and was settling in with some great saves. Then at the 4:44 mark Elias Lindholm gets a nice cross-crease pass from Phillip Di Giuseppe and Jordan Staal to make it 2-0.

What makes this play interesting is that E. Lindholm’s goal was because Brock McGinn was back in the locker room for an undisclosed reason reuniting Staal and Lindholm. Carolina kept up the pressure the rest of the period and was rewarded. Victor Stalberg scored in the final minute to put the final nail in the coffin. The Carolina Hurricanes head into the locker room with a 35-24 shot to end the period.

3rd Period

Senators start out the 3^rd with a really good effort but Eddie Lack comes through and at this point in the game Lack is starting to feel, in the groove. The Senators have one really good rally during the period when with Eddie Lack down and out, Justin Faulk moves into the blue paint and make a great save himself.

Not much later, Ottawa gets a power play at 15:37. Carolina, for the most part, kept Ottawa at bay with the Senators only having one good opportunity. At the halfway point of the 3^rd Justin Faulk draws an interference penalty from Ottawa’s Marc Methot while the Senators were in the offensive zone. Canes had a great PP but it was negated by some great saves by Craig Anderson leaving the Canes empty. The only question left was can the Cane’s ambassador for “Hockey is for Everyone” gets his shutout? The answer was YES.

Next: Carolina Needs a Culture Change

In the end, the young Canes defense tightened their belts and came out tonight and made their mentor proud. Klas Dahlbeck I will call out especially because of his physical play and presence in all aspects of his game. Dahlbeck played his A game. Even Noah Hanifin and Ryan Murphy didn’t make some of the same mistakes fans have become used to. To sum up the game in a quote (from my amigos in section 312) “Lack was solid, the Cane’s speed and puck handling made all the difference”. All in all the Cane’s youth came out tonight and played hard. This was a complete team effort and one the team needed.

Three Stars

#3 Phillip Di Giuseppe

#2 Jordan Staal

#1 Eddie Lack (kudos)

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