The Hurricanes Close the Home Portion of the Preseason with an OT Win over the Bolts

The Carolina Hurricanes played their penultimate game of the preseason and their final tune-up at home on Friday night with the Tampa Bay Lightning in town. The Canes opened the preseason last week with a 2-1 victory over the Bolts and were trying to bounce back after falling 6-4 to the Predators at the Lenovo Center on Wednesday.

The Canes iced a veteran-heavy group in this one, though a few notable prospects earned an extra look. Scott Morrow played his first game of the preseason after missing most of training camp with a lower-body injury, and Jackson Blake got a chance to prove himself worthy of a roster spot playing with the big boys. Andrei Vasilevskiy led the Bolts out, likely getting his last looks before taking the net against the Canes in their season opener in one week.

A good portion of the first period saw the Hurricanes practicing their short-handed work. William Carrier took a tripping penalty 21 seconds into the game, forcing Pyotr Kochetkov into action early. For all their time on the penalty kill, the Canes got a few good chances down a man that Vasilevskiy snuffed out. Neither team found the back of the net in the opening frame, with both goalies looking sharp early.

The roles were reversed in the second period, as the Bolts committed a trio of penalties, all of which would be killed. Both teams would score during the middle frame, coming just over three minutes apart. The Kotkaniemi line got it started. All three forwards connected on the goal, with Andrei Svechnikov finding Martin Necas in the slot for a one-timer that he flubbed right to Jesperi Kotkaniemi for the tap-in.

Anthony Cirelli was responsible for the tying tally on a 3-on-1. Dmitry Orlov pinched at the wrong time, forcing Scott Morrow into a defensive pickle. Cirelli looked off Kochetkov before snapping it past him to tie the game. This would be the only blemish in an otherwise dominant period for the Canes. Despite outshooting Tampa Bay 15-3, Vasilevskiy was unbelievable, keeping the game tied after 40 minutes.

Jon Cooper decided that his starting goalie had seen enough action heading into the third period, sending Jonas Johansson out for the final 20 minutes. The Canes continued to push early in the period, but the momentum leaned in Tampa's favor as play continued. The best chance of the period belonged to the Lightning. After another bad Orlov pinch, Zemgus Girgensons had Kochetkov dead to rights. With the goalie down, Girgensons put his shot off the post.

With no resolution after 60 minutes, the Hurricanes were forced into their second overtime game of the preseason. It didn't last very long. The only shot of the extra session belonged to the Canes, and it was the game-winner. Necas made a good play to force a turnover before finding Shayne Gostisbehere on a 2-on-1 to put the game to bed.

Friday's win featured a great showing for both Morrow and Blake. Morrow shone despite a tough night for his defensive partner. He was electric in the offensive zone, moving the puck well and showcasing the ease with which he can carry it. Blake earned some time on the power play with the big guns, though he did take a penalty during that same sequence. He did many small things in the game that will reflect positively on his chances of making the final roster.

This was also a very encouraging game from the Svechnikov-Kotkaniemi-Necas line. There is a lot of pressure on Kotkaniemi and Necas to have big seasons after taking small steps backward last year. Necas finished the night with a pair of helpers, including the primary assist on Kotkaniemi's goal. If this group can keep this going against NHL-level rosters, the Canes might've found a reliable second line.

The icing on the cake was another strong Kochetkov performance in what is likely his final action of the preseason. He was busy in the first and third periods, and while he might've gotten some help from the iron late, Kochetkov looked calm and composed all night. There were a few lapses in judgment when playing the puck, but nothing that came back to bite him. He's put together two great performances against the Lightning over the last two weeks, preparing him for a big regular season.

Up Next: The Hurricanes will conclude their preseason schedule on Saturday when they travel to Smashville to play the Predators for the second time in four days. I'd expect Frederik Andersen to get some time in the net against a decently veteran Nashville roster. After Saturday, everything for the next several months is for real. Carolina will open its season with a back-to-back against the Lightning next Friday and Saturday.