Carolina Hurricanes: 3 takeaways from huge win over Panthers

The Carolina Hurricanes gave their fans a scare last night, as they dragged their road game against the Florida Panthers to overtime then stole the win in epic fashion.

That was a real roller-coaster of emotions. The Carolina Hurricanes had little to no business in winning last night’s 4-3 overtime stunner against the Florida Panthers – but they did just that, with a top-drawer save by Petr Mrazek at one end setting up the breakaway chance for Nino Niederreiter, who expertly avoided the desperate Panthers defenseman and slid the puck over the Raleigh’s favorite son to clinch another crucial two points.

But what will we take away from last night’s game?

1. Petr Mrazek should be the Canes’ starter next season

It feels like the Carolina Hurricanes have the best goalie tandem in the entire NHL. Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney are engaged in a titanic duel for possession of the Canes’ starting gig, sharing starts and upping the ante with each passing game. As Canes fans, we’re not used to having even one good goalie, let alone two, and it’s part of what is making this remarkable season even more special.

After witnessing McElhinney make some great stops the previous night against the St Louis Blues, Mrazek came out last night and single-handedly won this game for the Carolina Hurricanes. By the end of the game I had lost count of how many terrific saves he made – a win like last night wasn’t something we could have expected going into this season:

Mrazek’s numbers this season don’t even come close to telling the story of how excellent a pickup he was by Don Waddell last summer. His save percentage of .904% is now tied with the league average – but what save percentage doesn’t tell you is how many of the saves he made were elite. Curtis McElhinney may have a SV% of .923%, but Mrazek makes the more important stops and has won more games on the back of his goaltending than Mac.

That’s not to diminish the astonishing career year Mac has had – but I want to see Petr Mrazek back in net for the Carolina Hurricanes next season, as the anointed starter.

2. Sebastian Aho is the most under-rated forward in the NHL

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It feels like we’re running out of superlatives to throw Sebastian Aho‘s way, but he keeps giving us new reasons to shower him with praise. Last night’s thrilling win came from the stick of Seabass, his third-consecutive GWG for the Carolina Hurricanes and his 7th of the season. If only we’d signed him to an extension much earlier in the season, because he is going to write his own cheque with the season he’s having.

Aho now has 27 goals for the season – two back from his career-high set last season – and has already set new benchmarks for assists and points. He’s quintupled his career SHG total this season, is likely to set a new best for face-off percentage, and has more takeaways than in any other season. During the team’s 20-6-1 run since Dec. 31st, Aho leads the team with 12-22-34.

Sebastian Aho is in outstanding form for the Carolina Hurricanes – if he can continue to push the boundaries of his talent, this team stands a great chance of making the playoffs.

3. Jordan Staal is definitely back

There was a significant section of Carolina Hurricanes fans that didn’t want Jordan Staal to return to the lineup. He was old, stale, out of touch with the modern game. His offense had stalled, his contract was a millstone round Don Waddell’s neck, and his return would ruin the team’s chemistry they had fought so hard to build.

Wrong! Staal has looked excellent on his return to the Carolina Hurricanes’ lineup, sliding in to the second-line center role and already has six points in four games since his return as part of a four-game point streak. His next point will be his 500th career point, and who would bet against that coming in the Canes’ very next game?

Jordan Staal is back, and his addition to the lineup could turn out to be our secret trade deadline move that no-one suspected.

The Carolina Hurricanes were lucky to pick up even one point, let alone two. That is the sign of a top team – and that’s what the Canes have become under rookie Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour. The NHL’S hottest team in 2019 now have a couple of days rest before heading into Beantown to face the Bruins in what promises to be a hard-fought game with huge playoff implications.