Carolina Hurricanes: 3 takeaways from big W in Tampa Bay
This is a game that aged me severely. With an opposing goaltender standing on his head, it seemed like this was a game destined to join the analogs of Carolina Hurricanes hockey. However, unlike the teams of old, this team found a way to come back and get both points in the extra frame.
Even after having a goal in overtime disallowed for offside, the Hurricanes find a way to squeeze a win out in the Bay. Carolina’s impressive performances in this game saw them take home a 2-1 win from the Big Guava. Not the most impressive of score lines but a fantastic bounce-back performance by the team to improve to 10-1 on the season and move one point behind the league-leading Florida Panthers with 3 games in hand.
This game was everything the Carolina Hurricanes needed it to be in order to secure the two points and move up in the standings. It was a solid defensive performance, a fantastic netminding duel, and a dominant performance from the forward core to get back to winning ways. Not only does Carolina win, but they do it in a commanding fashion despite needing the extra frame to settle the score.
Now, we can go back to having fun and talking about another win from the Carolina Hurricanes, as they continue their dominant start to the season. Being 10-1 through 11 games, Carolina now sits as the most in-form team in the NHL. This is everything Canes fans could have hoped for to this point of the season.
OT dominance continues
Carolina’s overtime record last season was incredible until the end of the season. Unbeaten in OT well into the final month of the season, Carolina seemed unstoppable when it was 3-on-3 or in the shootout and Tampa saw that last year as well as again in this game. And again, it was the same OT hero both times as Carolina get 2 points from the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Carolina’s overtime in this game was dominant, as they scored twice, with the first one being ruled out for offside. Carolina only mustered the two shots, one that obviously didn’t count in the shot department, in the extra frame but it was never really in question if Carolina were going to be scored on, but if they could solve the Tampa defense inside the time limit.
With so many talented individual skaters, Carolina’s 3 man units promise to be formidable, and it turns out, they are. Even without their second-best defender, they were never in any danger of losing in the extra frame. Tampa was never able to sustain puck possession in the extra frame, and the Canes became as dominant as they were at any point in the game.
A truly fantastic all-around performance from the Carolina Hurricanes in this one OT saw them escape the home of the defending Back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions with a massive win under their belts, and it helps the team build towards the rest of the season as they continue their quest for the Stanley Cup.
Freddie Andersen stands tall again
Coming off the back of a shaky start in Sunrise against the Florida Panthers, you would be forgiven for thinking that Frederik Andersen‘s hot start might have been a flash in the pan, yet the Canes netminder proved that his best hockey is still to come in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. He’s been incredible this season and he was again in this game.
Not with the sheer number of stops he was asked to make, but the quality of the stops he did make. Andersen’s highlight reel for the year could be this game and it would perfectly sum up what he has been for the Carolina Hurricanes all year. He’s been solid, and he’s been timely when the Canes have allowed chances that they really shouldn’t have.
Carolina’s goaltender has been an incredible addition to the team, and he’s been the reason that Carolina currently sits at 10-1 and atop the Metropolitan division. Andersen has been the goaltender Canes fans have been asking for since the day the team was relocated from Hartford. He’s been nothing short of remarkable.
Andersen stopped 19 of 20 in this game to help restore his save percentage after it was tanked against the Panthers, but that should not be all that is taken away from this game. Andersen had no chance on the goal after a beautiful passing play left one of the best snipers in the league unmarked, and he stopped everything else that was thrown at him. He was the reason Carolina got to OT in the first place.
Carolina’s hit and miss powerplay
I do not think I’ve seen a powerplay ever have a night where it fluctuates so much between good and bad as the Carolina Hurricanes did in this game. They were 1/5 and scored the game-tying goal in the third period on a beautiful set play with a perfect cross-crease pass, but they also had some… other adventures, and mainly in the 2nd period with the quick offensive line change.
Carolina had a five-on-three in the second period with an injured defenseman on the ice and a goalie without a skate blade. There were two sitting ducks on the ice for Carolina to expose and they just didn’t. It became a spinning like a hula-hoop around the boards and blueline. It was not exactly how it was drawn up in the locker room, but it works.
Carolina’s powerplay would find its deadly touch in the third when they tied the game, but at the same time, the Hurricanes had all the ingredients to win this game in regulation with the 5-on-3 goal that never came because of the ensuing chaos from the Tampa Bay net, to even the powerplays in the first. This game should have been out of reach by the end of 60 minutes.
But that’s it for this one. Carolina wins in Tampa Bay 2-1 in overtime to improve to 10-1 on the season. Their next game is on Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers back at PNC Arena with a 7 PM EST start. There will be a preview for that on Cardiac Cane here soon, but until then, thank you for reading, and LET’S GO CANES!
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