Friday night in Winnipeg was a bittersweet night for Nikolaj Ehlers as the Carolina Hurricanes visited Winnipeg on the third stop of their trip, marking the former Jets' first time back after signing in Raleigh this summer. The Canes hoped for better fortune after dropping Wednesday's game 4-3 in a shootout against the Minnesota Wild.
Jalen Chatfield returned after missing seven games while in concussion protocol, following a high hit against the Wild. He took Alexander Nikishin's spot in the lineup. Brandon Bussi was in the net for the first time since November 9th, when he backstopped a win in Toronto. Eric Comrie took the start for the Jets after announcing Connor Hellebuyck would miss 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery.
The captain wasted little time putting the Canes in front. Just 16 seconds in, all three forwards on his line touched the puck, ending with Jordan Staal ripping one top-shelf. Unfortunately, the Jets responded two-fold. Josh Morrissey finished a chance after a bad line change, and Gabriel Vilardi made Mike Reilly pay for a turnover with Winnipeg up a man. The Jets finished the frame up, 2-1.
Whenever the team is in a rut, they can always count on their leader. Early in the second, Staal doubled up, redirecting Chatfield's shot in the high slot to knot things up. The Canes took a penalty soon after, but they turned it into the lead. K'Andre Miller made a great play at the line, Sebastian Aho was stopped on a breakaway, but Winnipeg's own Seth Jarvis was there to clean up the rebound.
Leading 3-2 after 40, the Canes added to it early in the third. Ehlers made a beautiful seam pass to set up Andrei Svechnikov on the power play, putting the Canes up by two. The Jets got it back 54 seconds later. Vilardi's pass for Kyle Connor hit Chatfield's skate and eluded Bussi. From there, the Canes' netminder was sensational, keeping the Jets out to hold on for a 4-3 win on the road.
A questionable roster decision cast an early shadow
It was great to get Jalen Chatfield back in the lineup. Getting back to normalcy on defense is a step in the right direction. Of course, his return was going to come at the expense of one of the six in the lineup. Many assumed that Mike Reilly or Joel Nystrom would be the lineup casualty. However, most fans were shocked when Alexander Nikishin appeared to be the odd-man out.
To call this decision a head-scratcher felt like an understatement. Nikishin hasn't been on the scoresheet much lately, but he is growing in so many ways. It also went against the grain as frustrations grow over his lack of opportunities on the team's struggling power play. It didn't help that Reilly made a very tough play leading to a Winnipeg goal. It was an odd decision that felt sudden.
The captain continues to lead by example
We're just past the quarter mark in the season. The usual suspects are at the top of the goals chart, with Seth Jarvis leading the way with 11, including one tonight, and Sebastian Aho with eight. Right behind him, as expected, is Jordan Staal. His two goals in Winnipeg brought him to seven for the season, which momentarily put him alone in third before Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play.
Staal has scored three goals on this trip, getting the opener in Boston to boot. He has been on a good run recently, scoring four in his last four games, dating back to the Edmonton game before the trip began. His line is constantly doing it the right way, and the goals are coming in a variety of ways. It was a one-handed jab in Boston. Tonight, it was a top-shelf snipe and a beautiful high-slot redirection.
Additional Thoughts
He might've only found the scoresheet once, but Nikolaj Ehlers was electric in his return to Winnipeg. Better yet, his assist came on the power play to set-up what is officially the game-winning goal by Svechnikov. While he only registered one shot in 17:36, he was flying around the ice. He showcased his game well after receiving a nice ovation from the Winnipeg crowd.
It turned out to be a big night for guys with Winnipeg ties. Seth Jarvis finally got one into the back of the net, breaking a five-game drought. The Winnipeg-born winger has been fighting it recently. He made a heads up play to follow Aho's chance, picking up the rebound to score short-handed. It had to be a weight off his chest, especially in front of his buddies.
Last, but certainly not least, Brandon Bussi continues to be a major talking point. The head coach revealed that Pyotr Kochetkov was supposed to get the start, but he wasn't feeling 100 percent this morning. Enter Bussi, who hadn't played in 12 days. He was hit with some bad luck on some of the goals, though he was phenomenal in the third period, stopping 24 shots in the game to earn the win.
Up Next: The week-long trip reaches its end on Sunday afternoon with a tilt against the Buffalo Sabres. The Canes stomped the Sabres in Raleigh a few weeks ago, but Buffalo taught the Chicago Blackhawks a lesson tonight, drumming them, 9-3, at home. With the trip behind them, the Canes host the Rangers on Wednesday, kicking off a seven-game homestand for the group.