The Carolina Hurricanes had to take the sticks out of their backs and look to their next fight as they visited St. Louis on Tuesday night. The Canes did a great job to earn a point after coming back from a 3-0 deficit to force overtime before losing to the Detroit Red Wings on a missed call. All three goals came on special teams, with a pair on the power play and another short-handed.
Brandon Bussi took the net for the Hurricanes, looking to extend the team's point streak to six games after their winning streak was squashed at four. Jaccob Slavin didn't play as part of his rehab protocol, bringing Mike Reilly back into the fold for the night. Joel Hofer was in the crease for the Blues. He started both games against Carolina a season ago, splitting the decisions.
The opening frame happened without much fanfare. The Canes drew an early penalty, which generated a few decent looks, but nothing that beat Hofer. On the other end, Bussi was forced to make a big stop or two. It wasn't the most exciting frame in the world, as both sides remained scoreless after 20.
Much like last night, the middle frame was rough for the visitors. It started when a disjointed power play conceded a goal. Nick Bjugstad finished a short-handed 3-on-1 to break the ice. Then, the Blues passed it beautifully in transition, ending when Dalibor Dvorsky found the back of the net. To close it, Jimmy Snuggerud picked the corner on the power play, stuffing the Canes into another 3-0 deficit.
There wasn't any magic for the Hurricanes in the third period. No comeback was imminent, thanks largely to the effort put forth by Hofer and his crew. The Blues netminder was simply sensational. Jordan Martinook had a golden chance late to break the shutout, but Nathan Walker dove in to impede his stick. Hofer finished the night with 33 stops, recording his fourth shutout in a 3-0 win.
The Hurricanes have played a lot of hockey in January
We should not, and will not, make excuses for how poorly the Hurricanes played tonight. This was as uninspired an effort as we've seen the Hurricanes put together this season. They looked flat and tired all night. On Monday, when they fell behind 3-0, it felt like there was still some life in them early in the third. Tonight, the Canes couldn't muster anything.
Tonight marked their eighth game in 13 days to start the month. Only the Canadiens, who also played tonight and lost in overtime, have played as many in January. That is so much hockey, especially with bodies coming in and out of the lineup with injuries. They're played above .500 and still hold a lead in the division, so we won't overreact to this loss and look ahead.
Blocked shots and transition lapses killed the Hurricanes
There were two clear areas that the Blues excelled in tonight, making life miserable for the Hurricanes. The Blues threw their bodies in front of everything they could. Hofer had to make a lot of saves, but the team in front of him did a great job of minimizing the rubber he saw. When they weren't blocking shots, they were selling out and backchecking to perfection.
All three of St. Louis' goals came in transition on odd-man chances. To be specific, they were a 3-on-1, a 3-on-2, and a 4-on-2. It's tough to put your goalie in those spots. Two of their goals looked nearly identical, beating Brandon Bussi over his glove. The Blues outworked the Canes, bringing in the juice generated from last night's Hall of Fame ceremony.
Additional Thoughts
Bussi did what he could to keep things from getting out of hand, but he didn't get a ton of help. He stopped 28 shots to suffer just his third regulation loss and fourth of any kind this season. Unfortunately, he couldn't play offense, too. There wasn't much he could do on any of the goals. He can't be Superman every night.
It's hard to call one line better than the others when you get shut out, but the Canes' fourth line was, arguably, their most effective tonight. They had a few very good scoring chances that they couldn't finish. Eric Robinson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each finished with two shots and two hits, and Mark Jankowski had another good night in the dot.
Up Next: After a two-day gap, the Carolina Hurricanes will return on Friday night to begin another back-to-back. It starts with the Florida Panthers making their second trip to Raleigh as the Canes try to avoid the season sweep. They'll fly to Newark after the game to face the Devils in New Jersey for the second time in 13 days. The Canes beat them 3-1 on January 3.