The Hurricanes right the ship, trounce the Preds behind big nights from Blake, Ehlers

The Carolina Hurricanes entered Saturday's contest at 2-2-0 on their current seven-game homestand after a disappointing performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. The Canes scored just once after their three-day break to begin the month in a 5-1 loss. On Saturday, they sought a return to the win column to begin a back-to-back against the Nashville Predators.

The team welcomed Jesperi Kotkaniemi back to the lineup after missing the last nine games with an ankle injury. K'Andre Miller also returned after missing the Toronto game with an illness. Brandon Bussi was back between the pipes, trying to maintain his game after shutting out the Flames during his last start. Juuse Saros took the net for Nashville, who've won four of their last five games.

The first period went as well as it could've for the Canes. Their second unit broke a long drought when Jackson Blake's shot hit Taylor Hall's skate and bounced home. Then, during a 5-on-3, Nikolaj Ehlers buried a beautiful one-timer on a set-up by Seth Jarvis. In the dying seconds, the third line got one more. William Carrier's hard work netted him one, too, giving the Canes a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Bussi was on his A-game to start the second period. He made incredible stop after incredible stop to frustrate the Predators' offense. Late in the period, during a 4-on-4, Jackson Blake made a beautiful move to the middle of the ice before finishing a backhand chance, getting him a big goal to extend the Canes' lead to four before the second intermission.

The third period was very messy. Sebastian Aho got it started with a breakaway goal. The Predators broke the shutout streak on the power play, but Jackson Blake got it right back with his second goal of the night. Nashville struck twice more in the period from Matthew Wood and Filip Forsberg, though it wasn't nearly enough to beat the Canes in a 6-3 triumph for the home team.

The power play sets the tone in the first period

After all of our concerns about the power play, they finally figured it out tonight, or, at least, in the first period. Before the period was halfway done, the Canes scored twice, marking the power play's multi-goal effort of the season. Each unit got one, too, providing some balance. The first goal was all about persistence, while the second was about precision passing.

While it looked good to start the game, the momentum didn't carry throughout the night. They had four more chances that went by the wayside, a few of which looked a little too shaky. Still, if not for their strikes a little under two minutes apart, it could've been a very different night. It was a step in the right direction, though there's more to get.

Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers lead the charge offensively

While it was a group effort tonight for the Hurricanes, Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers were the only players with multiple points for the team. Both got off to quick starts by contributing on the power play. Blake's shot hit Taylor Hall's skate to get it going, and Ehlers buried a one-timer to double the advantage.

Ehlers played a helping hand on both of Blake's goals over the final two periods. First, Ehlers put it perfectly in space for Blake, who did the rest to score a beautiful goal on his backhand. In the third, Ehlers' pressure prevented the Predators from clearing a loose puck, and Blake was on the spot to put it into a partially vacant cage to earn the first three-point nights for both this season.

Additional Thoughts

Up a goal in the first period, Alexander Nikishin laid a massive hit on Matthew Wood. It was perfectly legal and through the body. Reid Schaefer came in to defend his teammate, taking a penalty in the process. Add a delay-of-game penalty, and the Canes capitalized on a 5-on-3. All of it started with Nikishin getting physical. He had a rough third period, but it was a solid night for the rookie.

Brandon Bussi had another incredible night, even if his final stat line doesn't look as sterling as his last two. Through two periods, Bussi was looking like Gumby in the net, contorting to make some massive stops. His defense got lacksidasical during the third, leading to three goals against, but Bussi made the big stops through two periods to put his team in a good spot to succeed.

Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will be right back at it on Sunday night, hosting the San Jose Sharks as the 20th Anniversary Stanley Cup celebration begins. It's the penultimate game of the homestand for the group, which ends on Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The first road game in weeks is on Thursday night against the Washington Capitals.