Wild halt the Hurricanes comeback attempt late in the third period

There’s been a theme to some of the more recent Carolina Hurricanes games. They put themselves in a hole and try to dig themselves out of it. Against a team as good as the Minnesota Wild, that wasn’t going to work. Despite the best efforts of one Russian winger, the Canes couldn’t quite get the puck to go in the third time despite having some fantastic chances in the final few seconds of the game.

When we talk about this game, we have to start with Andrei Svechnikov. He’s been a point-per-game player all season and is now right behind the team leader in both goals and points. His double in the third period of this one got the Canes back into it but it was always going to be a tall task. Not to criticize but he did have a chance late and he just couldn’t bury the puck as it was rolling in the crease.

Some sloppy puck play let the Wild really get the better of the Canes in the first 40 minutes. Minnesota spent the entire first period just kicking the Canes teeth in, it was not fun to watch as a Canes fan. With the team pinned into its own zone and unable to break through the well-coached Minnesota press, it became clear that this game was not going to be the cakewalk the Boston game had been.

When they went in at the end of 40 minutes just 1-0 down, there was hope. But the Wild would make it 3-0 and the Canes really had 10 minutes left to get 3 goals and it was always unlikely. It doesn’t mean they didn’t try, it was just not the result the team wanted when they went to Minnesota trying to end the road trip above .500 and return home with their division lead still in tact.