Hockey season is officially back for the Carolina Hurricanes. After a sad ending to their 2023-24 campaign, the Canes took the ice for the season opener at the Lenovo Center against a high-powered Tampa Bay Lightning team. Carolina saw decent success against the Bolts in two preseason contests but without the usual stars in the lineup.
Friday night marked the official team debuts for Jack Roslovic, William Carrier, Sean Walker, and Eric Robinson, while Jackson Blake was the lone rookie to take the ice for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen earned his fourth straight Opening Night start for the Hurricanes after Rod Brind'Amour kept the decision close to the vest in the lead-up. To no one's surprise, Andrei Vasilevskiy drew the start for the Lightning in the team debut of former Hurricane Jake Guentzel.
Offense was at a premium for the Hurricanes in the first period. They were stuck with one shot for most of the period, granted that shot was a Grade-A chance for Andrei Svechnikov as he worked around Ryan McDonagh. The longer the period wore on, the more the ice tilted in the Canes' favor.
While Jordan Martinook won't get an assist for his efforts, the opening goal doesn't happen without his pressure on Brandon Hagel. Martinook forced a turnover, allowing William Carrier to swoop in and steal the puck before setting up the captain at the front of the net. After an anemic start, the Canes took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The problem with playing the Lighting is how quickly they can turn a game around on special teams. The Canes saw that firsthand last season during that embarrassing 8-2 loss at home in November. The deadly triad would get the Bolts back even on the power play. Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov combined to set up Brayden Point at the top of the crease early in the middle frame to tie the game.
Outside of Point's goal, the Hurricanes were the better team in the second period. Beating Vasilevskiy is easier said than done and he made it very tough on the Canes after surrendering the first goal. Jack Roslovic was stoned on a breakaway. The Aho line had a dozen chances during a flurry that stayed out of the net. By the end of the period, the score remained 1-1.
The third period was The Nikita Kucherov Show. The Bolts' superstar scored three times in the final nine minutes, starting with a one-timer on the power play with 8:54 left to put the Lightning ahead. He added two goals into the empty net, including the dagger as he cherry-picked in the final seconds to secure a 4-1 victory for Tampa Bay. Kucherov finished the night with four points, while Hedman added three assists and Guentzel tacked on a pair of apples.
This was not the start to the season the Carolina Hurricanes envisioned. The chances presented themselves for the Canes through the first 40 minutes, especially after Jordan Staal's opening goal late in the first period. By the third period, the Bolts had more jump, outworking the home team for the final 20.
The biggest knock against the Hurricanes in the opener was their power play. They didn't generate a shot until their fourth attempt in the third period. The first unit passed the puck way too much, instead of firing the puck at the net and trying to create chances. Things weren't clicking for them, making it painful to watch at times. I can't give the penalty kill too much grief, despite two rapid-fire goals from the Lightning on six attempts.
On a positive note, the Staal line was phenomenal. William Carrier fit in perfectly in Jesper Fast's place. They generated the most dangerous chances for the Canes. Andrei Svechnikov also had a good night. He finished with a team-high five shots, including some good chances in the first and second periods. Jackson Blake got a little lost in the shuffle but made a beautiful aerial pass to Jaccob Slavin to get him in on a breakaway. Frederik Andersen was also good. He prevented things from getting bad early, though it looked like he was caught drifting on Point's goal.
Up Next: This was supposed to be the first half of a back-to-back with the Lightning, but Hurricane Milton forced the league to cancel Saturday's second half in Tampa. Instead, the Canes won't play until the New Jersey Devils come to Raleigh on Tuesday. This will be the final home game before the State Fair comes to town, forcing the Hurricanes to take the road for their next six games. The extra days could be a good thing for the Canes after a lackluster start.