Carolina Hurricanes: Blow Past Chicago Blackhawks 4-0

With both teams locked up, needing two points to stay in the closer contention with their division, the Hurricanes picked up a needed win. The Blackhawks’ struggle continues and the Carolina Hurricanes win the game in dominating fashion.

Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes had been on three-game losing streaks, the Blackhawks had trouble at home and the Hurricanes had problems on the road, both teams would finally see the other side. Though both teams needed a win desperately, the Hurricanes pulled through, and it wasn’t even close.

Calvin de Haan was returning to Raleigh for the first time since being a Hurricane, after being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the offseason. He actually had a decent night, unlike his team.

The Hurricanes looked to be doing everything right. When you look at the 3 Keys to Victory against the Blackhawks, the Hurricanes seemed to be following all the keys. They played with speed, the top forwards joined in, with Andrei Svechnikov scoring a powerplay goal, from obviously Dougie Hamilton and Erik Haula.

The confidence in the top forwards definitely was one of the hallmarks of the game tonight. With Svechnikov having enough confidence to take such an accurate shot, Nino Niederreiter would finally break through in the second period with an excellent shot of his own, giving him his first goal of the season. Sebastian Aho and Niederreiter have scored two games in a row, separating them may have been a great move by Rod Brind’Amour.

The Hurricanes continued to use speed to their advantage against an inferior Blackhawks defense, they played a cycling game that awarded them with yet another powerplay goal, with the captain Jordan Staal giving the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead. Aho and Niederreiter with assists to Staal, sounds like a trend.

Svechnikov would score yet again late in the 3rd period, with a shot that went off Duncan Keith and into the net. Aho with yet another assist and point in this game, with Jake Gardiner taking the other assist.

The Hurricanes literally went perfect on special teams in this game. All three of the Blackhawks powerplays were killed off, despite good looks from their units featuring Alex Debrincat, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane. All two of the Hurricanes powerplays, the puck went behind Corey Crawford.

Former Hurricane de Haan actually was not on the ice for any of the Hurricanes goals, he had 3 blocks and a takeaway. When you compare him to a traffic cone like Brent Seabrook, de Haan may have had the best game other than Debrincat.

Some Hawks were on the ice for one Hurricanes goal, Seabrook was on for half of them and he was on the ice for only 16:25 compared to de Haan’s 21:01 on the first defensive pairing.

This was the best game the Carolina Hurricanes have played so far this season. The offense, defense, and especially goaltender Petr Mrazek showed up to play. Mrazek saved all 32 shots that went to him, stopping stars like Debrincat and Kane, and curving a young star in Dylan Strome on a breakaway.

The game compared to the article on the 3 Keys to Recoil against the Blackhawks, it seems almost psychic. The lines were predicted 100% correct before the game, the Hurricanes followed all three keys; Speed Game, Top Forwards Joining In, and a Power-Play Revival on top of a Penalty-Kill Revival. The Hurricanes get an A+ on the performance.

With this win over the Blackhawks, the Hurricanes now return to being 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division, jumping over the New York Islanders. However, the Islanders have a game in hand on the Hurricanes. This victory should be a great confidence-booster for the lockerroom for the needed wins to come to stay in the top 3 of the division.

Question for Cardiac Cane Readers: Dougie Hamilton has a point in the past three games, will his point-streak continue on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames?