Carolina Hurricanes: 3 takeaways as Canes grind out win in Nashville

Andrei Svechnikov keeps his head clear

This was a big game for those looking to get a look into the mentality of the Canes young Russian superstar, but Andrei Svechnikov and his calmness got the better of the occasion. After making a bone-headed mistake to lead to Nashville’s equalizer to make it 1-1, Svechnikov would score the important goal that made it 2-1 before it became 3-1 with an empty-net goal, and Nashville pulled on back with the extra skater.

This is gigantic to take away from this game. Svechnikov was unfazed by a big blunder and was able to make perfect amends for his mistake. Svechnikov not being disrupted by his issues and missteps is something that holds a lot of promise. Svech is still only 21 years old, and he still has a lot of areas to improve before he is the finished article.

Moving forward from there, Svechnikov is showing he’s already got the resilience of a champion. He’s already showing that he’s got the skill of someone who can lead a team to the Stanley Cup with his skill. His shot is among the best in the NHL, and there’s not a lot of players that can rival his pass either. He’s deadly when the puck is on his stick.

Obviously, I said Svech still has rough spots. He still takes some really stupid penalties when he doesn’t need to. His passes can be too openly telegraphed sometimes, but he really is starting to show signs of becoming the game-breaker the Carolina Hurricanes got advertised when he was drafted. It’s been a long time since he was drafted and he’s starting to flash his skill to the world.

Svechnikov is one of those players that the Hurricanes will need to perform at the highest level. He’s in Carolina for the foreseeable future having signed an 8-year deal this summer. I find it hard imagining a situation where he isn’t a member of the Canes going forward. This is why seeing this mental resilience is such a promising sign.