Tuesday night was a rare outcome for the Carolina Hurricanes. They struggled to find any traction against the Nashville Predators, leading to a 4-1 loss on the road. Thursday presented a new opportunity for the group, heading to Long Island to face a division foe, the New York Islanders, for the first of four meetings this season.
After missing nine games with various upper-body issues, Taylor Hall returned to the Canes' lineup, finding a spot on the third line. Nicolas Deslauriers sat to make room for him. Long Island native Brandon Bussi was in the net for the Canes, making his first start since losing in a shootout to Edmonton on October 22. Semyon Varlamov drew the assignment for the Islanders.
The Canes got it going quickly. Logan Stankoven buried the first good chance of the night 57 seconds in after Jackson Blake dragged three Islanders with him, leaving his center all alone. Jesperi Kotkaniemi doubled the lead shortly after. Jordan Martinook put the puck in a perfect spot for him to tip it past Varlamov, making it 2-0 early, where things stood at the end of the frame.
The Islanders fought back even early in the second. Matthew Schaefer's shot was tipped by Mitchell Chaffee to get them on the board, and Brayden Schenn buried a wrap-around chance to tie it. Andrei Svechnikov responded 60 seconds later, breaking a nine-game drought to restore the lead, but Victor Eklund scored late in the period to tie it once more, sending us to the third tied at three.
It would take the Canes' best period of the night to finish the job, and a late goal would be the difference. William Carrier parked in front of the net, providing the screen for Svechnikov. Varlamov stopped the first shot, but Carrier popped the rebound home, pushing the Canes ahead. This time, it held. Jalen Chatfield put the puck into the empty net, securing an ugly 5-3 win for the Canes.
The early goals were good, but the Canes' overall start wasn't great
You won't see me complain about how this team plays very often. It's even rarer to see me complain when they're winning. The two early goals were excellent and just what the doctor ordered after losing in Nashville on Tuesday night. Otherwise, their start left quite a bit to be desired. It felt vaguely reminiscent of their performance late against the Predators.
The big issue was that they weren't strong on the puck or with their positioning. They were caught on the wrong side of an Islander quite a few times, allowing prime scoring chances that their netminder had to be sharp on. Fortunately for the Canes, Bussi was exactly that. It happened a little too frequently for my liking.
While they certainly appeared to have it figured out early in the second, coming out of the intermission and outshooting the Islanders 5-0, New York scored two quick goals to erase it. Part of that is the playmaking of Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn, the responsible parties for the goals, but the Canes didn't do themselves any favors on either instance.
Bussi is back in the win column, and his performance can't go overlooked
With how well Pyotr Kochetkov has been playing, you almost forget that Brandon Bussi hadn't played in two weeks. That particular performance wasn't very good. It has been a tough start for Bussi, but there have been flashes throughout the season that give you hope that a turnaround could be coming. Tonight, Bussi might've been the Canes' best player.
When the group in front of him broke down defensively, Bussi was there to make key stops. He made a few breakaway stops at critical points in the game, ensuring that things stayed relatively calm during chaotic moments. His sub-.900 save percentage does a disservice to the night he had. If not for some of the saves he made, the Canes would have lost this game.
I don't want to give the impression that Bussi is completely blameless. He bit too hard on Brayden Schenn before leaving himself vulnerable to a wrap-around, and I think he should've had Victor Eklund's one-timer late in the second period. However, his highs far outweigh those two goals, giving him his first win in almost a month.
The Canes' top line has a big night, scoring when it matters the most
Carolina is fortunate that its top line doesn't always have to be its best, though the team is at its best when they are. On a night that I wasn't too enthused by the action on the ice, the Canes' top line was the lighthouse looking over a choppy sea. All three forwards finished with multiple points. Sebastian Aho recorded two assists, while William Carrier and Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist.
The timing of the goals was the most important. Svechnikov desperately needed to find the back of the net. His initial chance, the result of beautiful puck movement from his line, was going wide of the net, but he earned a bounce off Semyon Varlamov's back. The puck lay dormant in the crease, giving Svechnikov an easy goal and the Canes another lead a minute after the Islanders tied it.
Tied at three right after the final commercial break, they got another, and it was the biggest of the night. Svechnikov finished with a game-high seven shots. This particular one didn't go in, but Carrier's fight in front of the net put him in a perfect spot. It was the right time for him to get rewarded with his first goal of the season, scoring the game-winner to finish the job on Long Island.
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