Exactly one year before extending the franchise's longest winning streak in New Jersey, the 2021-22 Carolina Hurricanes were facing a much different task. During one of the best starts in the organization's history, the Canes owned the best points percentage in the NHL on January 1, 2022, starting 22-7-1. They had won seven of their last eight games before starting the new year against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
On New Year's Day, the Hurricanes faced a tough test. The Blue Jackets threw everything at the Canes, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Current Hurricane Jack Roslovic waited for Zach Werenski to jump off the bench before the defender sliced through the defense and scored the opening goal. Adam Boqvist doubled the lead, beating Antti Raanta on a partial breakaway. Gustav Nyquist made it 3-0 by scoring a short-handed goal late in the frame.
Frederik Andersen relieved Raanta to begin the second period, but that didn't stop the Blue Jackets. Alexandre Texier's pass for Eric Robinson, another current Hurricane, deflected into the net off Ian Cole to make it 4-0. No lead in the NHL is truly insurmountable, but the Canes needed to do something they hadn't done since relocation to earn two points.
Steven Lorentz responded to Texier's goal 32 seconds later, redirecting Tony DeAngelo's seeing-eye pass to get the Canes on the board. Late in the period, Brady Skjei made it a two-goal game by finishing Andrei Svechnikov's feed from the far dot to give the Canes a little momentum heading into the third period.
Columbus also had to turn to their backup after Daniil Tarasov left the game after the second period. Elvis Merzlikins replaced him and the Canes had a field day. Skjei notched his second of the game early in the period by snapping a wicked shot over Merzlikins' glove to pull the Canes within a goal. Nino Niederreiter took advantage of a bounce off a stanchion, clapping one past the unsuspecting Columbus goalie to tie the game at four.
Still reeling from the tying goal, Ethan Bear made Columbus pay 16 seconds later to give the Canes their first lead of the contest. Steven Lorentz added his second of the game for good measure before Svechnikov iced the game with 2:30 left into the empty net to help the Canes score seven unanswered goals in a 7-4 victory.
The Carolina Hurricanes' four-goal comeback was just the second of its kind in franchise history and the first since 1989 when the Hartford Whalers scored six unanswered against the Montreal Canadiens in a 6-4 victory. According to NHL Records, there have only been 90 such occurrences in the regular season in league history, and there have only been 10 instances since the Canes did it in 2022.