3 takeaways from Canes historic win in the Buckeye state
By Conor Power
Carolina offense suddenly decided to bring in the new year with fireworks
4-0 down midway through the game. 7-4 winners at the horn. Carolina’s scoring continued to click as the game went on. With the Canes suddenly deciding that the team was too good not to win. It was a little concerning, but in the end, it paid off and the Canes rallied from 4 down to overcome the Jackets in regulation and add 2 more points to the standings. They’re the best team in the NHL right now.
As soon as the 3rd period starts, the Canes look like Stanley Cup contenders. This wasn’t just in this game. They outscore teams in the third period by getting almost 4x what they give up in the third. They scored 5 third-period goals in this one, and they gave up just 2 shots despite leading for half the period. They never let Columbus get back into it. As soon as the Canes led, this was over.
Carolina’s scoring in the third period was frenzied. They were scoring from the point, getting weird bounces, getting rebounds, empty-net goals, cross-crease passes, and tips. There was no reason for the team to have been behind, but the way they rallied was so reassuring. This game was mental for so many reasons, and the Canes escaped with a win.
Even the players that didn’t play well escaped with a point. The bottom pairing was awful through the first 40 minutes. They set up the game-tying goal and scored the game-winner. Carolina’s terrifying offense was on display, and everyone stood up and performed in this game. Whatever the role was, they all played well when the time called for it.