The Carolina Hurricanes had no time to think about Saturday's loss, immediately turning their attention to the New Jersey Devils to complete the weekend back-to-back. The Canes blew another multi-goal lead, surrendering a 3-1 advantage by allowing four goals in the third period. The top line provided all of the scoring, with each forward scoring for the second straight contest.
Noah Philp made his Hurricanes debut after being snagged off waivers on Monday. He replaced Jesperi Kotkaniemi on the fourth line. Brandon Bussi was back in the net, trying to shake off the sting of a 7-5 loss to the Canadiens on Thursday. New Jersey countered with Jake Allen. The Devils were also in action on Saturday, defeating the Utah Mammoth, 4-1, on home ice.
The Hurricanes created their own luck in the opening minute. Sean Walker's shot from the point was kicked out, but Luke Hughes put it into the net accidentally, giving the Canes the lead 51 seconds in. Nikolaj Ehlers was credited with the goal. The Devils got it back before the midway point. Dawson Mercer was in the right spot to finish a pass at the top of the crease, tying it at one.
Hughes' night only got worse in the second period. Trying to skate the puck back into his zone, he flew a little too close to the sun. Taylor Hall was in his kitchen, poking the puck off his stick and into the net to beat a surprised Allen. The fans in New Jersey let him hear about it every time he touched the puck. It was the only goal of the frame as the Canes held a 2-1 advantage after 40.
The Devils mounted a push in the third, but the Canes refused to break. Instead, they extended their lead. Hall forced Allen to misplay the puck behind the net, stripping it and finding Logan Stankoven in front of the net. The Devils' netminder hadn't settled back in when Stankoven slid it through to double the advantage. New Jersey couldn't draw closer as the Canes held on for a 3-1 win.
Taylor Hall haunts his former team
The Hurricanes have sorely lacked scoring from anyone not named Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Andrei Svechnikov over the last few games. Tonight was Taylor Hall's night. Visiting one of his former teams, he put together a stellar performance. His line was the Canes' most effective, accounting for three of the four points for the group tonight.
We can talk about how rough a night Luke Hughes had, but Hall deserves every bit of credit for forcing the play that led to him scoring the second goal. Then, he got in on the forecheck to take advantage of a miscue behind the net to get the insurance goal. It was an excellent night for the former MVP, making the Devils pay for their mistakes.
Brandon Bussi answered the call in a big rebound performance
While it was a gut-check game for the entire team, it was an especially big start for Brandon Bussi. He was not on his game against the Canadiens, but he was locked in tonight. He had one bad moment early that eventually led to New Jersey scoring. After that, there wasn't anything in the world that was getting past him.
His third period was crucial. He faced 14 shots through two periods before facing 15 in the final 20 minutes. There were a few tough stops sprinkled in, but Bussi did a very good job of slowing the game down when it started to get hectic. He finished the night with 28 stops, his most in a win this season, allowing us to breathe a sigh of relief.
Additional Thoughts
The penalty kill was just as valuable a part of this win as any individual. The Canes had zero penalties through almost 33 minutes before taking three in quick succession and another early in the third. The killers refused to budge. For a group struggling to find consistency without their kingpin, this was a big night for them, finishing 5-for-5 in Newark.
It was a pretty understated debut for Noah Philp. He only played 10:48 in the game, getting some looks on the kill. He finished below 50 percent in the dot, but there were a few good defensive plays throughout. Philp isn't the type of guy who is going to score a ton, so this was a perfectly fine way for him to make his team debut.
Overall, this was the type of game the Hurricanes needed. Sometimes, the boring games are the best ones. This lacked a ton of flair, which is exactly what the Canes want. They kept New Jersey's firepower at bay. They forced the Devils to make mistakes. The Canes earned these two points to snap their three-game skid.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes return home for the week to host a trio of Western Conference opponents. First, they'll welcome Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. On Thursday, it'll be the high-powered Anaheim Ducks, who always seem to perform well in Raleigh. Lastly, they'll finish the week against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.