Two forces of nature collided in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night as the Carolina Hurricanes traveled to Amalie Arena to battle the Lightning. The Canes won an exciting game on Sunday night, erasing a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Penguins 4-3 in overtime on Sebastian Aho's 600th point. They hoped to start a winning streak against a Bolts team on a four-game slide.
The Hurricanes utilized the same lineup as Sunday night, meaning William Carrier would miss his second game with a lower-body injury. Pyotr Kochetkov was between the pipes for the visitors, hoping for a better result than his last start against the Wild. Fellow countryman Andrei Vasilevskiy was at the other end for the Bolts.
For what feels like the hundredth time in 41 games this season, the Canes didn't have the strongest start. Every time they touched the puck, Tampa Bay was there to take it away and turn it up the ice. Conceding the first penalty of the game didn't help matters as Jalen Chatfield sat for holding. The Bolts nearly cashed in, with Nikita Kucherov ringing the post on his drive from the dot.
The Canes killed the penalty, but Tampa Bay still scored the game's first goal. Kochetkov was able to stop Darren Raddysh's shot from the point only for Brandon Hagel to corral the rebound and lift it into the net to get Tampa on the board late in the period. Jackson Blake nearly set up Juha Jaaska for his first goal shortly after, though Vasilevskiy kept it out to maintain his team's one-goal lead.
The Canes found their legs in the second period. Martin Necas had a golden chance stopped and the penalty kill kept it a 1-0 game with another successful kill. As good as Vasilevskiy was, he'll want the Canes' first goal back. On the other hand, Andrei Svechnikov will gladly take it. After helping Jordan Staal win the draw, Svechnikov threw a seemingly innocent backhand at the net. It hit Luke Glendening's stick and caught Vasilevskiy by surprise, tying the game as it fluttered into the net.
The good times didn't last long. Brent Burns was called for hooking less than a minute later, putting the Canes back on the kill for the third time. They had done everything flawlessly, but the Bolts got a bounce. With one second remaining in the penalty, Raddysh's shot was blocked perfectly to Nick Paul at the side of the net. He buried his shot into the yawning cage to restore Tampa's lead.
It took the Canes a while to get back even, eventually doing so midway through the third period. The captain's line was on the spot again. This time, Staal did the dirty work. Brent Burns did a good job of waiting for Staal to become available in front of the net. While Burns was likely aiming for Staal's tape, the puck was redirected off Staal's skate and past Vasilevskiy to tie it once again.
The only thing missing from the game was Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point finding the scoresheet. Unfortunately for the Canes, they found it in the final minute. Kucherov made an all-world pass to Point as he skated in front of the net. Point spun and finished it past Kochetkov's blocker with 51.8 seconds left. It didn't leave the Canes enough time to tie it, falling 3-2 despite an overall solid effort.
This was the type of finish that tests your intestinal fortitude. The Carolina Hurricanes played well enough to win on Tuesday night. They played a very good road game, albeit after another slow start. They did everything right on the penalty kill, but one bad bounce cost them a goal. They worked back into it twice before falling in the final minute to a very good team. The Canes deserved better than what they got in Tampa.
Despite losing, Pyotr Kochetkov put in another outstanding performance against a fellow Russian goaltender. We've seen recent battles with Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin in which the best has been brought out of the Canes' netminder. This one was no exception. Kochetkov was phenomenal. He didn't have a chance on any of the goals and he did everything in his power to make sure his team had a chance. It's simply a bad luck loss.
After the Pittsburgh win on Sunday, I talked about that game being a positive step for Andrei Svechnikov and that he was destined for a break. His goal in this game might've been the break he needed. Sometimes, all it takes is one bounce to help you find your mojo. I thought he was one of the team's best skaters, along with linemate Jordan Staal, who had a two-point game. The next step will be turning it into sustained production.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will begin a three-game homestand on Thursday night, kicking off a back-to-back with a nationally televised tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto has won five straight as their lead in the Atlantic Division continues to grow. On Friday night, the Canes will host the Vancouver Canucks to complete the back-to-back, before welcoming the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday as Eric Staal's #12 is lifted into the rafters.