The Carolina Hurricanes began their six-game road journey on Friday night with their second straight division matchup. After handling the Devils 4-2 on Tuesday night, the Hurricanes were in the Steel City to meet Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and a red-hot Penguins offense. This would be an exciting first road test for the Canes.
Frederik Andersen was in the net for the Hurricanes as the rest of the lineup remained the same. Andersen suffered the Opening Night loss to the Lightning a week ago despite a strong performance overall. Pittsburgh countered with rookie goalie Joel Blomqvist. The young Finn has stepped up for Pittsburgh with Tristan Jarry struggling to begin the season.
Once the puck was dropped, the Hurricanes were all over the Penguins. Blomqvist bailed his team out several times. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and William Carrier found that out the hard way, being denied on Grade-A chances. Even when they were penalized, the kill came out and smothered the Penguins' power play for two minutes, holding them to zero shots.
For all of the good things the Canes did in the first period, Pittsburgh would break the ice. Drew O'Connor took on two Hurricanes and won, snapping a perfect shot over Andersen's glove to open the scoring. Before they could finish announcing the goal, the Hurricanes tied it. Kotkaniemi made a great play along the boards to win the puck to Eric Robinson, who found Jackson Blake at the front of the net for the rookie's second goal in as many games.
While the score would be tied at one after 20 minutes, the Hurricanes were the better team. In the second period, they continued to show it. Martin Necas would give the Canes the lead on the power play early in the frame, picking the same shot location from the same spot on the ice as O'Connor. Late in the period, the power play struck again. Shayne Gostisbehere ripped a shot off the back bar to extend the lead.
The Penguins offered some pushback in the third period, but Andersen was on the ball. Cody Glass beat Andersen through his pads, though he got enough of the puck to push it wide. Jack Roslovic helped to put the game away for good with a beautiful snipe off the bar and in with nine minutes left to notch his first goal as a Hurricane. The penalty kill came up with two more stops late in the game to seal the deal, giving the Canes a dominant 4-1 victory to begin the State Fair trip.
For the second time this week, the Carolina Hurricanes outclassed their opponent. The Canes dominated the Penguins in every facet of the contest. They could've easily panicked when their chances weren't going in the net during the first period, especially after Pittsburgh scored the first goal. Instead, the fourth line stepped up, tied the game, and put the Hurricanes back on track to win this game.
The Hurricanes' power play was the last area of their game they needed to get going. They'd looked very bad through two games, especially the first unit. On Friday night, they moved the puck much better, allowing them to pepper Blomqvist and strike twice in the second period. While they made substantial strides in Pittsburgh, it'll be about repeating this result and continuing to convert during the trip.
Throughout the lineup, the Hurricanes' chances were plentiful. Everyone was rewarded, except for the Staal line. All night, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, and William Carrier knocked on the door, only to be denied. It would be a running theme for the Hurricanes, especially when they hit four posts in the second period, including one by Martinook. It's also a testament to the solid play of Blomqvist for the Penguins.
Speaking of solid goalie play, Frederik Andersen was phenomenal. He wasn't busy early, with the Penguins' second shot being the one that broke the ice. It was a near-perfect shot that most goalies in the league would've fallen victim to. After allowing the goal, nothing else was getting past him. Sidney Crosby had a great chance on the Penguins power play that Andersen got back to stop. He was busiest during the third period, stopping all 15 shots thrown at him. It was nice to see him rewarded after being let down last Friday night.
Up Next: The Hurricanes will be back in action on Saturday night for the second stop on their six-game trip. They'll start making the journey west, taking a quick stop in St. Louis to face the Blues. From there, the rest of the trip will be in the Pacific Northwest, starting with a tour of Alberta on Tuesday and Thursday in Edmonton and Calgary.