Entering the night on an eight-game point streak, the Carolina Hurricanes expected a fight against the desperate Ottawa Senators, who visited Raleigh on the second half of a back-to-back. The Canes avoided another collapse on Sunday, watching their two-goal lead disappear late in the third period before Sebastian Aho scored in overtime to take a 3-2 win over the Kings.
We were treated to the same goalie matchup from two weeks ago in Ottawa. Brandon Bussi was phenomenal that night, leading the Canes to a 4-1 win after making 36 stops on Hockey Night in Canada. Opposite him was James Reimer after Linus Ullmark won his second start since returning to the lineup on Monday in Pittsburgh.
The early portion of the first period was controlled by the visitors. Stephen Halliday redirected a shot from Jordan Spence, putting the Sens on the board first. Slowly, the Hurricanes got more zone time. Then, they got a bounce. Sebastian Aho put his shot off Jake Sanderson's skate, and it trickled over the line. Aho picked up his 20th of the season to tie it at one after 20.
Seth Jarvis took over the game in the second. It started with the power play needing just six seconds to convert. Andrei Svechnikov found Jarvis between the dots for a snipe and the lead. He doubled up just over three minutes later, powering past Jake Sanderson and finishing a beautiful sequence. Tim Stutzle got one back on the power play late in the period, but the Canes remained up, 3-2, after 40.
The Senators' power play got another early in the third to draw even. Jake Sanderson's blast from the point got under Bussi's glove to knot it at three. Despite blowing the lead, the Canes would prevail with some help from the captain. Nikolaj Ehlers caught the Senators changing, springing Jordan Staal for a breakaway. Staal picked the corner on Reimer, putting his team ahead for good in a 4-3 victory.
Brandon Bussi was out of his mind tonight
The Senators saw a little more success against Brandon Bussi the second time around, but they easily could've scored more than three times. The laundry list of big saves is long tonight. There was a pad stop on Nick Cousins in the first with his team down a goal. Then, he denied Drake Batherson, leading to a goal on the other end. To close the night, he fell to make a stop from the point.
Bussi probably wants the second goal back, allowing another goal to Tim Stutzle from a tough angle through the pads. If there's one area he needs to improve, it's his puck handling. He put himself in some tough spots when leaving the net to play the puck. It's a very good thing that he's so good at recovering. He improves to 22-3-1 with the win, extending his win streak to six games.
The puck is going in the net for Aho, and now, Jarvis
They don't all have to be pretty, and Sebastian Aho's 20th goal of the season certainly wasn't. He got a little help from an opposing skate, but they all count the same. After 12 goals without scoring, Aho has found the back of the net in three straight. It's also his tenth straight season with 20 goals. He added to the night with two more helpers, producing his fourth three-point night of the season.
Both of those assists ended in Seth Jarvis finding the net, too. It's not as if he'd gone that long without scoring a goal, last scoring when the Canes were in Ottawa. However, after all of the chances he had on Sunday, this had to feel good. The first goal was all about the passing to find him in the slot, but the second one was almost all him, powering around Jake Sanderson before a soft finish.
Additional Thoughts
Jordan Staal has been turning back the clock this season. In his 20th NHL season, the captain has goals in four of his last six games, eclipsing his goal total from last season by scoring the winner tonight. Nikolaj Ehlers made an incredible pass to catch Ottawa changing, giving Staal the look without anyone around him. Along with his goal, the captain also had a game-high six hits.
The one area of the game that didn't look as sharp tonight was the penalty kill. They allowed a pair of goals on three attempts, snapping a perfect stretch of seven games at home. Ottawa's puck movement was excellent to get their looks, and the Canes had a tough time separating them from it. I'm not overly concerned about it, but it's something to mention.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes play their final game before the Olympic pause on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. For most of the team, it'll be the last hockey they play until the Canes host the Lightning on February 26. For the select few, they'll head to Italy to participate in the Winter Olympics, beginning on February 11.