Carolina Hurricanes: Breaking Down Andrei Svechnikov’s Goals
The Carolina Hurricanes’ sophomore winger has already surpassed his rookie goal total with 25 games remaining. Today, we take a look at just how important his goal scoring has been for the Hurricanes.
Andrei Svechnikov is good. Am I stating the obvious? Yes. Am I answering my own questions? Also yes. My questionable mental faculties aside, the Carolina Hurricanes have a budding star, one who promises to be an offensive dynamo for years to come.
The young Russian has hit the 20 goal mark in each of his first two seasons and is currently on pace for a 33 goal campaign. If that’s not impressive enough, Svechnikov has twice pulled off “The Michigan”—henceforth known as “The Svech”—a move that had never been successfully pulled off in the NHL.
With the Hurricanes in the thick of the Eastern Conference Playoff Massacre—I mean race—Svechnikov is poised to play a huge role. With a second period tally in Friday’s 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, he sits at 23 goals on the season. That’s good enough for second on the team behind Sebastian Aho (who got his own goal breakdown here).
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1189353620267028481
So, let us take a look at just how important Svechnikov’s goals have been for the Hurricanes, starting with a breakdown of goals scored by period:
- 1st: 5
- 2nd: 7
- 3rd: 10
- OT: 1
Much like Aho, Svechnikov’s production has amped up as each game wore on, with almost half of his tallies coming in the third period.
Now, let’s take a deeper dive.
The Breakdown
First goal of the game: 4 (17.39%)
Svechnikov has opened the scoring four times for the Hurricanes; 3 even strength and 1 power-play goal. If they’re going to return to the playoffs, more of this is needed.
Game-tying goals: 2 (8.69%)
The 19-year-old has shown great poise, helping his team get back into the fight. With his style of play and continuing maturation, this area will only get better as time moves on.
Go-ahead goals: 11 (47.82%)
This one shows just how big Andrei Svechnikov has been for the Hurricanes. Anytime that you have a player heading for a 30+ goal campaign while scoring nearly half of them to give his team a lead, it’s special. Be it opening the scoring or breaking a tie later in the game, Svechnikov has come up clutch for Carolina.
Speaking of go-ahead goals:
At the start of the season, not one player had scored a lacrosse-style goal.
— NHL (@NHL) December 18, 2019
ANDREI SVECHNIKOV (@ASvechnikov_37) HAS NOW DONE IT TWICE. pic.twitter.com/PpEyWWGubz
Insurance goals: 3 (13.04%)
Perhaps the biggest goal in this category happened in a matchup against the Washington Capitals on December 28th, 2019. Svechnikov picked up an empty netter that put the Hurricanes up 6-3. Then, with 1:13 remaining, Richard Panik scored Washington’s fourth goal. The Capitals were surging late and, while Svechnikov’s goal wasn’t the game-winner, it did provide enough breathing room to keep the game from becoming ulcer-inducing.
Game-winning goals: 5 (21.74%)
In another huge stat, one-fifth of Svechnikov’s goals have been game-winners. Moreover, he’s tied with Aho for the team lead in this category, a testament to how important he is to the Hurricanes’ success.
Conclusion
Andrei Svechnikov: 2019-20 (through 2-16-20)
23 goals:
5
power play (22%)
More from Cardiac Cane
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- Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
- Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
- The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
- Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes
The bottom line is that when Andrei Svechnikov scores, it’s big. Even if you choose to ignore his 3 empty-netters, that leaves 20 goals that have made significant impacts for the Carolina Hurricanes this season.
As always, don’t take my word for it, just look at the Hurricanes’ record when he scores at least one goal: 20-3. The 3 games in which he’s scored 2 goals? 3-0. There’s no question that he’s already an integral piece of the Carolina Hurricanes offense and will be for years to come. Still, it’s interesting to take a deeper look and see just how much of an impact he’s had.
With 24 games remaining and the Hurricanes fighting for a playoff berth, it’s imperative for Svechnikov to continue his impressive contributions. The recent formation of the SAT line bodes well for both Svechnikov and the Hurricanes’ playoff hopes.
How do you think Andrei Svechnikov will fare through the remainder of the season? Will he be able to help the Hurricanes return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Next. Lack of Depth Scoring a Concern. dark