For their send-off game before flying overseas, the Carolina Hurricanes introduced their Hometown Remix sweaters to the world as they welcomed the Chicago Blackhawks to the Lenovo Center. The Canes played a sloppy game on Thursday on Long Island, but they escaped with a 5-3 win, courtesy of late heroics by William Carrier.
After a long holdout, Alexander Nikishin was finally back in the lineup for the Hurricanes. He took Juuso Valimaki's spot on the third pair with Shayne Gostisbehere as he played his first game in almost five months. Pyotr Kochetkov looked for a rebound performance after suffering his first loss of the season on Tuesday in Nashville. Spencer Knight took the net for the Blackhawks.
As they did on Thursday, the Canes got two early. Seth Jarvis had a blocked shot land on his stick, and he buried it from the left dot. Then, Jackson Blake completed a gorgeous sequence by finishing a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers. However, unlike Thursday, they kept their foot on the gas. Jordan Martinook doubled up in the final half, scoring a pair to extend the lead to four by the end of the frame.
The only line without a goal in the first period was the top trio. They rectified that quickly. Andrei Svechnikov popped home a rebound after hitting the post. Sebastian Aho got one, too, burying a 2-on-1 pass from Sean Walker to send Knight packing. Late in the period, Nikishin made his presence felt, hammering a shot off a few Blackhawks and past Arvid Soderblom, kicking the extra point.
There would be no shutout tonight for Kochetkov. Roman Kantserov extended his goal and point streaks early in the frame. Connor Bedard added another late, picking up his second point of the night. Of course, the Canes couldn't let that stand. Shayne Gostisbehere got the first one back, and Svechnikov got another in the final seconds, burying the Blackhawks in a 9-2 thumping.
All four lines and all three pairs found ways to score goals for the Canes
From start to finish, this was the Hurricanes giving it to a team that has struggled. It felt very reminiscent of their last home game against the Jets on Sunday. Chicago sorely needed a win. Against an inferior opponent, the Canes could've easily phoned it in, especially since they're getting on a plane and flying to Finland tomorrow. They refused to do that.
In the first period, three of the team's four lines scored goals, with the fourth line scoring twice in a four-goal frame. None of the goals were the same. Seth Jarvis scored on a bit of a broken play. Jackson Blake's goal was all about skill and finesse. Jordan Martinook's goals were a 2-on-1 transition chance and hard work in front of the net.
While the top line didn't score in the first, Andrei Svechnikov hit the post, putting them inches away from adding to it. Then, they finally broke through. Svechnikov rang the iron a second time, but the rebound popped right to him, giving him a chance to pounce on the third opportunity. Sebastian Aho also got one, putting him within striking distance of the franchise's goals record.
Let's show the defense some love, too. Their play in the defensive zone speaks for itself, allowing just two goals and making life easy for Pyotr Kochetkov, who picked up his 11th win in 12 starts. However, they added two goals and six points in the offensive zone. Only Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield failed to score points, but that isn't really their job.
Overall, 11 of the 12 forwards and 15 of the team's 18 skaters recorded a point. Aho led the way with three. Eight players, including all three forwards on the top and fourth lines, had multi-point nights. The only forward without a point was Mark Jankowski, and he hit the post twice, coming inches from finding one. As the scoreboard showed, it wasn't ever close in Raleigh tonight.
While Nikishin showed signs of rust, his offense wasn't an issue
The big news before tonight's game was Alexander Nikishin's return to the lineup, and it delivered just about what we expected. He started in his familiar spot on the third pair with Shayne Gostisbehere, getting his first game action since Game 6 in June. He played over 20 minutes in his season debut, getting a lot of time as the game got out of hand.
Early, it was clear that he was still getting reacclimated to the speed of the NHL. While practice is always great, there is no substitute for the real thing. Nikishin had some rough puck moments, doing a little too much and turning it over a few times. It rarely led to anything for the Blackhawks, so they were some good learning moments as he got his skates back under him.
The one thing we weren't worried about was his offensive game. Nikishin was one of the eight Hurricanes with multiple points. He unleashed an 89 MPH drive from the point to get his first goal of the season late in the second, extending the lead to seven. Then, he pulled two Blackhawks with him off a won draw, setting up Shayne Gostisbehere for the team's eighth goal.
Everything is going well for the Hurricanes right now as they take their flight to Finland. Everyone is playing well, and this was the perfect tune-up for them. Best of all? They showed that the new kits aren't cursed. If anything, it means that they should wear them more often. The Canes are ready to take over Finland. The real question is whether Finland is ready for the Canes.
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