Hurricanes Shoot Down Blackhawks, Extend Streak to Four

The Carolina Hurricanes went into Chicago walked away with a 4-2 win, extending their win streak to four games. Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Tuesday’s game.

Coming off of two thrilling overtime victories against the Buffalo Sabres and the Minnesota Wild, the Carolina Hurricanes continued to build upon their recent momentum with a great performance at the United Center.

The Hurricanes came out of the gate playing very well. They had some great chances early, but Chicago’s net minder Robin Lehner was denying everything that came his way, proving that it wasn’t just that amazing Islanders defense that made him so good last season. However, he can only do so much. Carolina finally broke the ice, and didn’t stop after that.

The scoring started with a beautiful 2-on-0 the other way, with Nino Niederreiter and Martin Necas going the other way all alone. Niederreiter set up Necas beautifully and he buried it, giving the Canes a 1-0 lead. It didn’t take much time in the 2nd period for Svechnikov to bury a beautiful shot from the left side, and all of a sudden, the Hurricanes were up by two.

Once the game became 3-0 on a goal by Niederreiter, Carolina played fairly well until the 3rd period. The Hurricanes started playing sloppy, and before they knew it, Chicago had gotten two quick goals by Erik Gustafsson and Connor Murphy. After that wake-up call, Carolina quickly regrouped and Sebastian Aho buried the empty-netter to seal the game for Carolina 4-2.

Overall, Carolina played well. Despite the 3rd period push from Chicago that almost costed them the lead, they stuck to their game and suffocated the Blackhawks with their style of play. Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Tuesday’s game.

Solid Goaltending

For many years, the Hurricanes struggled to have any sort of consistent goaltending. This was one of the many reasons the playoff drought lasted as long as it did. But with Petr Mrazek in the net, the Canes have finally found someone who can hold the fort down and be consistent in the crease. Tonight was no exception to that fact.

I mentioned in my three keys that if Mrazek was the starter, this was his chance to prove he can perform on the road as well. And to say the least, he definitely did. After being so successful at home, it was important for Mrazek to find some consistency on the road, and tonight was a big step forward in that sense.

Mrazek stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced. For the longest time, it looked like he was well on his way to a shutout. Once Carolina started playing sloppy, Chicago pounced on that opportunity and got two passed Mrazek. But besides that roughly two-minute sequence, he was perfect, making timely stops and keeping Carolina in the game when they needed him most.

Robin Lehner played very well himself. His defense left him hanging out to dry on a few of the goals scored tonight, but he continues to show just how good of a goaltender he truly is. He gave his team every chance to win the game, and that’s really all you can ask for out of your goaltender.

Niederreiter Breaking Out of His Slump

When the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Nino Niederreiter from the Minnesota Wild last year, he immediately fit right in with the club. In the 36 games he would play for the Hurricanes, he posted 14 goals and 16 assists. He was exactly the offensive piece the Hurricanes needed and helped Carolina clinch their first playoff berth since 2009.

So far this season, Niederreiter hasn’t had the best of luck. There have been countless times where he would have a great chance, but either fan on a shot or just get robbed by the opposing goaltender. On many occasions, you could see the frustrating in his face.

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Things have looked promising for Niederreiter here recently. He has at least a point in three of his last four games. He is a player Carolina needs to produce, especially because he’s proven he can do just that. He’s stuck with his game and is finally getting the bounces that he really deserves.

In the game against the Blackhawks, Niederreiter had a big night. As I mentioned earlier, he set up Necas with a good pass to open the scoring for the Hurricanes on a 2-on-0. Later in the game, he would score a beautiful backhand goal on a partial breakaway that would put Carolina up 3-0 in the 2nd period.

While Niederreiter isn’t producing at the same rate as when Carolina first acquired him, it seems he’s finally breaking out of that early season slump. He had a big night tonight for the Hurricanes, and was a big reason why Carolina walked away with two points.

Next Game: vs Philadelphia Flyers on November 21