For the second time in three nights, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers came together to square off. Of course, it's the preseason, so the results don't matter, but the Canes had a tiny chip on their shoulders after dropping their opener, 6-3, in Sunrise. The young group showed tremendous fight against a veteran Florida squad, but it was a clear mismatch on the ice.
The Hurricanes deployed a similar lineup to the one we saw on Sunday, with a few small changes. Mark Jankowski and Nicolas Deslauriers were among the regular players inserted into the lineup, while many of the young guns remained. Brandon Bussi took the start. The Panthers did the same, sending a roster resembling their NHL squad to Raleigh, with Jacob Markstrom back in the crease.
The action was fast and furious to begin the game, with Boko Imama and Bryce Montgomery exchanging pleasantries in the form of a friendly scrap. The opening goal of the contest followed two minutes later. Brady Tkachuk picked up his third goal of the preseason by wiring a one-timer past Bussi from the top of the left dot.
The Canes got it back very quickly. Mike Reilly threw a shot from the point that Bradly Nadeau got his stick on. Markstrom made the initial stop, but Nadeau forked the rebound over his outstretched pad to tie it at one. The fans had hardly finished celebrating the goal before Aleksander Barkov snuck behind the defense and buried his second breakaway in as many games 18 seconds later.
The end of the first period was much better for the Canes, and they used that to play a very strong second period. Both starting goalies were lifted halfway through, allowing Cayden Primeau and Akira Schmid to take over. Justin Robidas welcomed Schmid rather rudely, picking the top corner to surprise Florida's backup and tying the game at two, where it stood after 40 minutes.
The third period passed without any goals, sending the sides to overtime. Florida had the better chances during the 3-on-3 session, including a few short-handed looks on the Canes' power play at the end of overtime. Without a victor after 65 minutes, the shootout was needed. Nadeau scored a beautiful backhanded goal, and Felix Unger Sorum copied him, securing a 3-2 win for Carolina.
Bradly Nadeau is ready for a full-time spot, and he proved it tonight
Rod Brind'Amour said during the Prospect Showcase that he wants Bradly Nadeau to shoot everything in sight. Tonight, it felt like he took that to heart. Nadeau recorded a game-high seven shots, not including his attempt in the shootout, and no one else on the team was remotely close. It didn't matter what angle he was at. The puck was going toward the net early in the game.
Of course, it also helps when one of your shots goes in the net, with Nadeau earning his second goal of the preseason on a rebound at the top of the crease. I felt like he got a little too selfless later in the game, trying to find Felix Unger Sorum in the third period and overtime. In the shootout, he had no choice but to call his own number, and he did exactly that with a gorgeous goal.
The last two games have reaffirmed what we've been saying for a long time, and especially lately. Nadeau is ready to play in the NHL full-time. Of course, he'll experience the same bumps that every rookie does. Tonight, against as tough an NHL lineup as you'll see, Nadeau was the best player on the ice. On Tuesday, he deserves to be in the lineup against the Panthers again.
If Cayden Primeau isn't careful, someone might try to claim him...again
It wasn't clear whether Brandon Bussi would get the full game, or if we'd see a switch midway through. After a little over 30 minutes, Bussi's night was done, and it was a solid performance overall. Not a ton could be done on either goal, especially with Aleksander Barkov selling the pass as well as he did on Florida's second marker. Bussi settled in after that, finishing his night with 11 stops on 13 saves.
The net became Cayden Primeau's after the commercial break around the 10:00-mark, and he looked incredible. He made it look way easier than it probably was for the final 35 minutes. He saw a lot of shots, and while the post helped him on one particularly good chance, Primeau stopped the rest of them. He went 20-for-20 during regulation and overtime before stopping two more in the shootout.
We saw this same thing happen last preseason. Primeau, brought in after a trade with Montreal, was excellent during training camp, but he needed to pass through waivers to get to Chicago. Instead, Toronto claimed him, which prompted the Canes to claim Bussi the day before. He's now on a two-year deal, though there are probably some teams taking note of the Wolves' presumed starter.
There was no shortage of standouts tonight for Carolina. Mike Reilly was excellent, blocking three shots and assisting on Nadeau's goal. Justin Robidas scored for the second time in as many games. Charlie Cerrato continues to impress. Skyler Brind'Amour and Josiah Slavin put in a lot of hard work. It was a scrappy effort from the Canes all-around tonight to earn a win they rightfully deserved.
After earning the preseason split against the Panthers, the Hurricanes turn their attention to the Nashville Predators for their final two tune-ups. While some of the young players will likely stick around, I'm expecting a few more veterans in the lineup for the next two games, especially at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro on Thursday night.
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