With wins in back-to-back contests, the Carolina Hurricanes sought to keep the good times rolling at home against the Anaheim Ducks. They bested the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night to begin their short homestand, getting big games throughout the lineup in a 6-3 victory. Now, they have to contend with the Ducks, who are sliding down the standings but love playing in Raleigh.
Mark Jankowski returned to the lineup in Noah Philp's place after the newly acquired center entered concussion protocol. Frederik Andersen took the net against his former club for the second time this season, backstopping the group to a win in Anaheim in October. Ville Husso stood across from him. The Ducks were without Troy Terry, who missed the contest with an upper-body injury.
The Ducks were the more desperate team in the first period. The Canes failed to match it. While they came up with a big 5-on-3 penalty kill, the visitors took advantage of a bad turnover by the top line. Ryan Poehling served as the ultimate benefactor, finishing a 3-on-1 past Andersen to get the Ducks on the board first. They maintained that advantage for the final few minutes, leading 1-0 after 20.
It took hard work, but the fourth line drew the Canes even. Mark Jankowski powered his way to the front of the net to get the group on the board. Mikael Granlund was left alone at the side of the net to help the Ducks retake the lead, but a late push helped the Canes earn their first lead. Logan Stankoven and Jalen Chatfield found the back of the net, putting the home team up 3-2 after two.
The Canes put the clamps on the Ducks to close it out. With it still sitting as a one-goal game, Jackson Blake's tally midway through the third felt like a big one. Alexander Nikishin's shot was blocked, but it landed perfectly for Blake to bury, extending the lead to two. Taylor Hall finished it into the empty net, securing the Canes' third straight win in a 5-2 triumph.
The Stankoven line drove the offense tonight
Since the start of the new year, we've gushed over the play of the Aho line. Tonight, they were the only line that didn't find the scoresheet. Instead, the trio of Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake, and Taylor Hall took over the game. Down a goal and needing a spark, this line provided it. Hall found Stankoven by making a patient pass to tie the game. That's all they needed to turn the tide.
The only two goals in the third period came from this group, with Blake's goal coming at a big point in the contest. The Ducks were one shot away from tying it again. Instead, the Canes got a bounce and a goal to make it a two-goal game. The icing on the cake was Hall's empty-netter. The line finished the night with three goals and two assists while combining to finish +9.
We took a trip to Chatmandu in his 300th NHL game
When I highlighted Jalen Chatfield this morning in my preview of tonight's game, I was unaware that this was his 300th NHL game. I would lie and say that I knew the milestone would bring the offense with it, but it would be exactly that. Still, this was a big night for him. He had one slight defensive lapse, leading to Anaheim's second goal, but he made up for it in a big way.
Naturally, he picked up the secondary assist on the tying goal by playing stellar defense. He made a good play at the defensive blue line to interrupt an entry, turning it the other way for Stankoven's goal. Then, Chatfield finally found the back of the net to give the Canes the lead. There was beautiful puck movement from the Staal line before he popped free to hammer one, scoring the game-winner.
Additional Thoughts
The final 28 minutes of this game were surgical. The Canes outshot the Ducks 19-3 in the second period and 28-7 over the final 40 minutes. Most importantly, they scored four unanswered goals after Anaheim took the lead. While it was still tight on the scoreboard, the Canes felt like they had complete control. Eventually, the margin of victory truly showed it.
The final piece of the puzzle was Frederik Andersen. He only faced 13 shots tonight, but there were some quality saves sprinkled throughout. There was one on a short-handed breakaway in the first, and Andersen added two more big stops early in the third. He hadn't won since November 6. Tonight, Andersen was just as big a part of the win as anyone.
Up Next: The homestand comes to an end on Saturday night when the Carolina Hurricanes host the Seattle Kraken with a chance to sweep their Western Conference visitors. Next week, they hit the road for a quick back-to-back. The journey begins in the Motor City on Monday night before they visit the Arch on Tuesday.