The Carolina Hurricanes rolled into Calgary on Thursday night, riding high from their thrilling victory over the Edmonton Oilers. After trailing 2-0 through two periods, the Canes scored twice in the third period before winning it with 6.1 seconds left in overtime on Tuesday. With their confidence high, they traveled south through Alberta to meet the red-hot Flames.
Rod Brind'Amour shook up the lines in front of Pyotr Kochetkov, opting to start with the new lines formed during the third period on Tuesday. The Russian netminder was trying to rebound after a rough second start against the Blues last weekend. Dan Vladar earned the nod for the Flames, who entered play on Thursday as one of four teams in the NHL without a regulation loss.
The Flames came out of the gates with a few great chances, but the Hurricanes controlled the majority of the period. It wasn't until the power play got a chance to operate that the scoring began. Ryan Lomberg was guilty of an unnecessary hit on Jackson Blake, sending the Canes on the man advantage. It took 12 seconds to convert. Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho created a chance for Seth Jarvis, who spun and sniped a shot over Vladar's blocker. The power play got another chance shortly after, but couldn't do it again.
If the Canes thought they deserved better after a dominant first period, they finally received their compensation early in the second. Jack Roslovic continued his great trip by tipping Brent Burns' shot from the point and burying the rebound into an empty net 41 seconds into the frame. Just over a minute later, Necas added his second point of the night by snapping his 100th NHL goal through traffic to make it 3-0 less than two minutes into the period.
Not known for going away quietly, the Flames slowly started to work back into the game. Former Hurricanes first-round pick Jake Bean snapped a quiet shot off the draw past Kochetkov late in the second period to cut into the Canes' lead. The Canes took a few tough penalties in the third period, but the kill was able to bail them out, keeping the Flames from shrinking their deficit further.
As the Flames' pressure continued, they got a good bounce to make it a one-goal game late. Rasmus Andersson's shot hit Justin Kirkland in front of the net and popped to Jonathan Huberdeau. Kochetkov was out of position and Huberdeau didn't miss, scoring with 6:55 left to cause concern among the Caniacs.
To add salt to the wound, Roslovic had a prime chance that hit the post and stick to Vladar's back. Then, Necas was robbed on a wrap-around by Vladar's pad. Fortunately, Eric Robinson picked the perfect time to score his first goal as a Hurricane, winning a race to the puck and scoring into the empty net to re-establish a multi-goal lead. When the final horn sounded, the road team surrounded Kochetkov to celebrate a well-earned victory, handing Calgary its first regulation loss.
It got a little too close for comfort at the end, but a win is a win. The Hurricanes have ensured no worse than .500 on the trip with two games remaining. This victory featured most of what has allowed the Canes to be successful since leaving Raleigh. The power play converted in the first period. The penalty kill was perfect. The players who've been carrying the load offensively continued to do so.
We were treated to another great goalie battle, this time between Pyotr Kochetkov and Dan Vladar. Through four road games, the Canes have run into four goalies who've played their best games of the season when they come to town. Vladar kept the Flames afloat when the Hurricanes pressed, allowing Calgary to get within a goal late. On the other end, Kochetkov refused to be outplayed. His saves were less flashy while being incredibly timely. He ended his night by recording his first career point with the only assist on Robinson's empty-netter.
Martin Necas loves Alberta. After a three-point night against the Oilers, Necas added two more points, taking the team lead for the moment with eight. After an interesting offseason, Necas has done a great job silencing the critics with his start. Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere also kept their point streaks alive, while the Canes defender saw his goal streak end. Brent Burns found the scoresheet for the first time. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Andrei Svechnikov each added secondary helpers. Everyone threw their hat into the ring to make the win possible.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes have just two stops left in their six-game road trip. They'll return to the United States to face the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night. To finish the journey, the Canes will hop back across the border one more time, facing the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Their October schedule will end next Thursday with the Bruins to begin a four-game homestand.