Coming off a disappointing trip to Buffalo on Wednesday, the Carolina Hurricanes sought a better result as they hosted the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night. The Canes put themselves in a 3-0 hole they couldn't climb out of, despite getting within a goal with about three minutes left. Returning to the friendly confines of the Lenovo Center, the Canes aimed to continue their home-ice dominance.
Pyotr Kochetkov was back in the net for the Canes, but the big news was Frederik Andersen's activation off IR to serve as the backup. Andersen has been out since the State Fair trip after four outstanding starts to begin his season. The rest of the lineup remained the same for Carolina. Adin Hill took the start for the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights controlled most of the first period. An early power play helped keep the puck in front of Kochetkov. While Vegas moved the puck effortlessly, the penalty kill refused to break. Both goalies were outstanding during the opening 20 minutes, keeping it scoreless as the Canes slowly started working their way into the game.
All it took was one bad bounce to force the Canes to catch up again. Dmitry Orlov made an ill-advised play as he tried to stretch the zone. Vegas picked it off and it turned into a goal. Tomas Hertl picked up a loose puck and roofed his backhand past a screened Kochetkov to break the ice early in the second period.
About five minutes later, Kochetkov was thrown into the line of fire as Sean Walker slashed Keegan Kolesar on a breakaway. While Kolesar is having a career year offensively, Kochetkov didn't care. Kolesar tried to beat him with a wrister from between the dots, only to be met by the Russian's blocker. The game remained 1-0, allowing his teammates to find the answer.
Once again, the Staal line provided the equalizer. With Seth Jarvis returning to the line, he was on the spot to put the first one past Hill. Jordan Martinook made a great play to get the puck to Jarvis, who kicked it to his stick before finishing it. The Canes would get two more chances on the power play to take the lead, failing to convert as the game remained deadlocked after two periods.
The Hurricanes were shot out of a cannon to begin the third period. Less than a minute in, Jackson Blake got a fortuitous bounce to give the Canes their first lead. Transitioning on a 3-on-2, Blake was trying to throw a backhand pass to Jalen Chatfield as he sprinted to the backdoor. Instead, Noah Hanifin redirected the pass into the net to earn the rookie his tenth goal of the season.
Just over six minutes in, Martinook had the shift of the game. After intercepting a pass that would've likely led to the tying goal, Martinook flipped the puck to Jarvis to create a 2-on-1 with the captain. Jordan Staal slid the puck to Jarvis, who beat Hill trying to complete the two-pad stack to give the Canes a 3-1 lead.
While the Canes owned a two-goal advantage, the game was far from over. Aided by an excellent screen from Mark Stone, Shea Theodore cut into the lead with a power-play goal just before the ten-minute mark. Vegas continued to push the rest of the way, giving it everything they had until the final horn. When the clock finally hit all zeros, the Canes were on the right side of a 3-2 win.
Pyotr Kochetkov was the difference. Pick any point in the game and there is likely a big stop from Kochetkov associated with it. He was incredible in the first period, likely proving to be the only reason it remained scoreless. There was the penalty shot down 1-0 that he stopped. Kochetkov made two big stops right before Blake's goal. He added another breakaway stop on Mark Stone in the third before closing the deal in the final seconds. From bell to bell, it was a great night for the goalie.
The Staal line continued to thrive as Seth Jarvis was reunited with the vets. While the youngster scored twice, Jordan Martinook was outstanding. Assisting on both of Jarvis' goals, Martinook made it all possible. Add an incredible night in the dot and an assist for the captain and it was a recipe for success to earn two massive points.
Efforts like this make the losses to teams like Anaheim and Buffalo frustrating. The Canes had been outstanding in back-to-back wins against Toronto and Vancouver before struggling against two teams at the bottom of the league. It always seems to be the big games against the league's best when the Hurricanes turn it on. This can't continue to be the trend. It should be night in and night out, regardless of the opponent. That will make this team a true Stanley Cup threat.
Up Next: After a hockey-less weekend, the Carolina Hurricanes will be on the road to begin the week, facing the Chicago Blackhawks and the Dallas Stars in a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday. They'll return home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday before heading out to start a quick New York tour against the Islanders on Saturday.