Solid Goaltending Ends the Road Trip Strong
By Glenn Brewer
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the reigning Stanley Cup Champions late last evening. The Vegas Golden Knights were kind enough to host the Canes but the visitors did not return their kindness. Spencer Martin started his second game in red, black, and white. Ending the road trip in style, Carolina heads home for the upcoming week.
Before we get to the week ahead, let's take a look at how impressive Martin's two starts have been for Carolina. The opponents were the defending Cup champions and the top of the league, the Boston Bruins. Intimidating opponents, all Martin did was stop 58 shots and surrender just three goals.
The goalie competition continues to get tighter and tighter. Frederik Andersen's return is on the horizon, while Pyotr Kochetkov has returned and continues to grow as the future of the franchise. Antti Raanta is hurt but not gone for the season. Enter, Spencer Martin, with his impressive, but brief debut in Raleigh.
A tough road trip out West has come to an end with strong goaltending performances helping the Canes take 2 out of 3 matches. The only defeat in Dallas to start the road trip. Kochetkov led the way in Arizona with a 5-1 victory before last night's performance.
The boys head home for a week before heading back on the road. Three games at PNC Arena and a chance for the team to sleep in their beds and do some laundry before heading North.
The week begins with a match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks on President's Day. An extremely winnable game, the next two will not be far more difficult. The Florida Panthers come to town as they continue to climb the standings and are currently leading the Atlantic Division. The end of the week is with the recently played, Dallas Stars. A better performance will be needed than the one given in Dallas this week.
An important week to take advantage of games at home as the Canes start to separate from the Philadelphia Flyers, who trail Carolina by four points with two more games played. The chase for the Metro Division continues with the New Rangers leading the division currently. The Canes will host the Rangers early next month.