The Carolina Hurricanes played their final exhibition game of the preseason on Saturday night, traveling to Nashville to play the Predators for the second time in four days. The Predators brought their veteran group to Raleigh on Wednesday night, handing the Hurricanes a 6-4 loss after scoring four times in the first period.
After the Hurricanes' veteran group beat the Lightning 2-1 in overtime on Friday night, the younger group got their second crack at Nashville. Scott Morrow, Tyson Jost, and Sam Gagner were the only three to play both games of the back-to-back. Frederik Andersen started in the net. A similar group of Predators played again for Nashville, with All-Star goalie Juuse Saros playing opposite Andersen.
The start of the game was not kind to Scott Morrow. The defensive prospect took a tripping penalty 25 seconds into the game before being assessed two more penalties by the time the game reached the first commercial break. They wouldn't bite the Hurricanes, but a Tyson Jost penalty would. The Predators' power play executed a perfect passing play, ending in Mark Jankowski scoring the only goal of the first 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes' offense came alive early in the second period. After failing to convert on the power play, Josiah Slavin received a pass from Eric Robinson, lifting the puck past Scott Wedgewood, who relieved Saros to begin the period. During a 4-on-4 sequence less than three minutes later, Bradly Nadeau scored for the second time in as many appearances. Morrow atoned for his earlier miscues by setting up Nadeau for a one-timer to give the Canes the lead.
The Predators would respond to Nadeau's goal by tying it up quickly. Cole Smith pounced on a rebound just past the halfway point in the period after Andersen couldn't control Dante Fabbro's initial shot from the blue line. Late in the period, the Canes regained the lead. Sam Gagner was in the right place at the right time to pot a loose puck to carry the Canes into the third period with a 3-2 lead.
Spencer Martin took over for Andersen to start the third period. He faced considerable pressure from Nashville to begin the period before they finally tied it again. Tommy Novak recorded his third point of the night by picking up a muffed pass and squeaking a shot under Martin's arm as he sped into the zone.
Having already played two overtime games during the preseason, the Hurricanes weren't interested in doing it a third time. A smooth play in transition allowed Felix Unger Sorum to find Eric Robinson at the top of the crease for an easy tap-in to take the lead with 2:29 left in regulation. Robinson would put the game away with an empty-net tally from center ice to end the preseason with a 5-3 victory.
Frederik Andersen was simply phenomenal. Outside of poor rebound control on the second Nashville goal, Andersen flawlessly withstood numerous Grade-A chances from the Predators. He stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced in 40 minutes before giving way to Martin for the third period. Martin wasn't bad either, stopping 11 of 12 shots. With Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov each shining in the preseason, the Canes' duo looks sharp before the season begins.
With roster cuts set to come in the next two days, several players are fighting for the final two forward spots in the starting lineup on Opening Night. Eric Robinson, an offseason addition, and Sam Gagner, who is on a PTO, are among that group. Both played very well in Nashville, finishing with three points each. Felix Unger Sorum feels like a long shot, but he showcased his playmaking ability on the game-winning goal. The organization has some tough decisions to make.
Up Next: Overall, the Hurricanes finished the preseason with a 4-1-1 record. While it was nice to have hockey back, the real stuff begins this week. After the final roster decisions, the Hurricanes will focus on Opening Night on Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They'll immediately turn around and fly to Tampa to play them again on Saturday for an opening weekend back-to-back.