The Carolina Hurricanes Stun the Oilers with a Massive Comeback Victory

The third stop on the Carolina Hurricanes' six-game trip brought them to Alberta on Tuesday night to meet the Edmonton Oilers. The Hurricanes aimed to find their magic from last Friday's win in Pittsburgh after losing 4-3 to St. Louis on Saturday. The Oilers haven't been as lethal to begin the season as they were during their playoff run, trying to climb back to .500.

The goalie carousel continued to spin for the Hurricanes as Frederik Andersen made his third start of the season. Andersen was phenomenal in Pittsburgh, making 25 stops to earn his first win. Stuart Skinner was opposite Andersen in the net, hoping to turn around a very poor start to his campaign.

The first period began with the speed of a runaway train. Connor McDavid opened the scoring early in the contest, taking advantage of a collision in the neutral zone between Dmitry Orlov and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Oilers captain walked in and snapped a shot bar down on Andersen with sniper-like precision.

Things wouldn't get any easier with the Oilers going on the power play shortly after. The penalty kill overcame Jordan Staal losing his stick during most of Edmonton's push, eventually killing it. The period would slowly swing back in the Canes' favor, but the Hurricanes failed to capitalize on wide-open nets. Jack Drury, Jack Roslovic, and Jordan Martinook had prime chances to score, but Edmonton escaped the period with their 1-0 lead.

A bad hooking call against Seth Jarvis allowed Edmonton's power play to work early in the second period. McDavid scored his second goal of the night after excellent puck movement with Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, putting the Canes in another tough spot. It would be the only goal of the period, as Skinner continued to stifle the Hurricanes.

After earning a power play at the end of the second period, the Hurricanes looked to their man advantage to kickstart the comeback. Skinner made one of the most incredible saves I've ever seen on Martin Necas, but a failed clearance by Mattias Janmark allowed the Canes to keep the pressure on. Necas and Gostisbehere played catch, getting Skinner out of position before Gostisbehere clapped a one-timer into the net to extend his goal streak to four games.

Rod Brind'Amour put the forward lines in a blender for the third period, trying to find something to work at 5-on-5. With Andersen continuing to keep the Canes in the game, the group in front of him finally evened it. Necas created the play with his speed before being on the receiving end of Eric Robinson's pass at the side of the net for an easy tap-in. Neither team put together a good chance to win it during the remainder of regulation, sending the Canes to their first overtime game of the year.

With the amount of skill on both sides, overtime didn't disappoint. Both teams had ample opportunity to earn the second point. Zach Hyman was stoned as he tried to redirect a pass past his former teammate. This would prove to be Edmonton's best chance to win it. Not to be outdone, Necas threw a shot off the post.

The Hurricanes made one last push at the end of overtime. Sebastian Aho was blockered away by Skinner, but Gostisbehere's retrieval and saucer pass to Necas allowed him and Aho a 2-on-1 opportunity. Necas fed Aho for a one-timer, burying it with 6.1 seconds left. Skinner lay face down on the ice as the Canes' trio embraced with the 3-2 comeback victory completed.

It's way too early in the season to gauge how this win will affect the Hurricanes' season, though it could be a huge boost for the remainder of their road trip. On the verge of dropping to 1-2-0 through three games away from Raleigh, the Canes fought back from another two-goal deficit to earn at least one point before going all the way and stealing the second point from the Oilers.

Big moments require big players to lead the charge. While the glory will go to the trio who combined for the game-winner, the true star of the night was Frederik Andersen. He was under siege for most of the game against a high-powered offense, but he wasn't fazed. His work over the final 25 minutes was what won the game. His stop on Hyman shortly after the 2-1 goal might've been his biggest, along with the big defensive play Brent Burns made in the crease midway through the third period.

In the end, the work of Necas, Gostisbehere, and Aho sealed the deal. Necas factored on all three goals, providing the primary assist on the two goals he didn't score. Gostisbehere has scored goals in four straight games, making him the second defenseman in team history to do so. Three of those goals have helped the power play come to life on the road trip. Aho has points in four straight after being held scoreless in the opener, including back-to-back multi-point performances.

Up Next- The Alberta trip moves to Calgary on Thursday night. The Flames have been one of the biggest surprises of the new season, getting off to a 5-0-1 start. They beat the Penguins in the shootout on Tuesday night after getting a late game-tying goal from Nazem Kadri. The Hurricanes will make a quick stop in the States on Saturday in Seattle before concluding the trip in Vancouver next Monday.