New identity, same results as the Whalers blow a multi-goal lead in a loss to Quebec

For the second time this season, the Hartford Whalers made an appearance, hosting the Quebec Nordiques to complete the season series. The Whalers' defense has been flimsy over their last two games. They allowed seven goals to the Montreal Canadiens, falling 7-5, despite five points from Sebastian Aho and three each from Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrei Svechnikov.

Frederik Andersen took the start for the Whalers, hoping to recapture the magic from his performance earlier this season in Denver. He stopped 44 shots in a 5-4 shootout win. Shayne Gostisbehere returned after missing the last few games with a groin injury. Scott Wedgewood took the crease for Quebec. He was chased in the first period in October after allowing four goals.

The first period gave us the makings of a goalie duel. Andersen and Wedgewood were outstanding, denying dangerous chances as their opponents built momentum. However, there was one blemish. While killing a penalty, Sebastian Aho got loose for a short-handed breakaway. He stayed red hot by sliding it through Wedgewood's pads to record his 300th goal and give the Whalers the ice breaker.

The Nordiques got one early in the second after captain Gabriel Landeskog scored on a wrap-around. The Whalers responded two-fold. First, Nikolaj Ehlers scored on the power play, snapping one from the slot as the unit backed Quebec's killers in. Then, Andrei Svechnikov worked around Devon Toews to slide it around Wedgewood's left pad, giving the Whalers a two-goal lead at the second break.

The party came to a quick halt in the third. The Nordiques struck twice in the first two minutes, getting a power-play goal from Brock Nelson and a revenge goal from Jack Drury. Nelson added his second on the power play before the halfway point, erasing a 3-1 deficit as if it were nothing. Nathan MacKinnon finished a four-point night with an awarded empty-net goal, winning it, 5-3.

The Whalers played about as strong a 40 minutes as they could

If you only watched the first two periods of this game, consider yourself lucky. You would've sworn that the Whalers were the best team in the league with what they were able to do to this high-powered offense. The stars were playing like it, too. For the second game in a row, all three players on the top line scored a goal.

They also did a great job of frustrating the Nordiques' stars. At one point, Nathan MacKinnon was losing his mind and breaking his stick in frustration. When the Whalers/Hurricanes are playing their game, this is what they can do. They held another multi-goal lead after two periods. Unfortunately, we know how the rest of the story goes.

Then, as we've seen plenty of times, they completely crumbled

It is becoming increasingly frustrating to watch this team blow leads in the third period. This is the fifth time in eight games that they've blown a multi-goal lead, and their second time in as many games. It's almost as if they forget how to play hockey during the second intermission, allowing their opponents to immediately turn the game on its head.

It continues to be self-inflicted mistakes. Andrei Svechnikov takes a tripping penalty 11 seconds into the third period. The Nordiques score. Joel Nystrom tries to make a risky play from his own zone. It gets picked off, and the Nordiques score. We can say what we want about the penalty against Nikolaj Ehlers, but they put themselves into this situation, making a bad call blow up in their faces.

Additional Thoughts

The run that the top line is on offensively is impressive, and it's a shame it is being wasted. Sebastian Aho recorded another multi-point effort, while Svechnikov and Ehlers found the back of the net for the second game in a row. They've now combined for 15 points in two games, led by Aho's seven. It's a little more impressive considering they faced the MacKinnon line for most of the night.

Frederik Andersen carried his third period from Pittsburgh into tonight's start. For two periods, it genuinely looked like he had found his game. I don't put the collapse on his shoulders. He allowed one stoppable goal in the third, but Andersen didn't stand a chance on either of Nelson's goals. The search for another victory rages on.

Up Next: The Hartford Whalers return to being the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow night when they turn right around and enter a divisional battle in Newark against the New Jersey Devils. Next week, the Canes play three more at home, hosting Dallas on Tuesday, Anaheim on Thursday, and Seattle on Saturday as their busy January trudges on.