The train kept rolling into Calgary as the Carolina Hurricanes made the second stop of their trip, facing the Calgary Flames in their final visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday night. The Canes looked to complete another perfect back-to-back weekend after beating the Jets on Saturday in Winnipeg. However, things got a little tougher for them before the game.
After Rod Brind'Amour teased a game-time decision during his talk with the media, the team announced that Mark Jankowski would miss tonight's contest with a lower-body injury. Nicolas Deslauriers returned to the lineup, Jordan Martinook centered the third line, and Felix Unger Sorum was bumped up next to him. Brandon Bussi and Devin Cooley battled between the pipes.
The Canes played a much better opening frame than they did on Saturday, yet the result remained the same. Neither team broke through to begin the game, with each goalie looking strong to start. Sebastian Aho put one off the post, and Eric Robinson had three good short-handed chances, but nothing found the back of the net for either team, leading to a scoreless first period.
The fourth line struck again to open the scoring early in the second. Jesperi Kotkaniemi potted a rebound chance at the side of the net to get the Canes off and running. The Canes dominated the middle frame, but goals 69 seconds apart from Matvei Gridin and Morgan Forst had them on the verge of trailing after two. Jalen Chatfield scored with three seconds left, drawing the Canes even.
The Flames were the better team in the third period, and they earned their result tonight. The Canes were on their heels for most of the frame, but Bussi did all he could to keep his group square. Eventually, it wouldn't be enough. Yegor Sharangovich finished a one-timer with 4:28 left, and that would do it. In their final visit to the Saddledome, the Canes fell, 3-2, to the Flames.
The end of the second period cost them more than we initially thought
With about four minutes left in the second period, the Canes held a 1-0 lead. They put together a string of shifts that kept several tired Flames on the ice. They were working the puck around beautifully, throwing everything they could at the net. Devin Cooley was stopping them, but they were on the verge of extending the lead before the intermission. Instead, they took a breath.
When the Flames finally got the puck out of their zone and worked it up the ice, they scored. It was as if everything that the Canes did fell to the wayside. To make matters worse, Mike Reilly threw the puck over the glass, giving Calgary a power play, which they also converted on. In 69 seconds, the Canes went from being in control to playing from behind.
Obviously, Jalen Chatfield's goal with three seconds left helped to ease that burden, but the Canes let their foot off the gas at the worst possible time, and it burned them. Frankly, it cost them the game. If they go into the break still ahead 1-0, I think there's a reasonable chance that they finish the job in the third period. Instead, they gave the Flames life.
Bussi did his best to salvage a tough final frame by the defense
Brandon Bussi saw more rubber tonight than he has in any start this season. In fact, it's the first time that the Hurricanes allowed more than 30 shots in a game this season, giving up 34 shots to the Flames. Never was he more tested than during the third period, when the Flames threw 14 shots his way. They dominated for the majority of the frame, but Bussi was phenomenal to keep it tied.
It might've just been me, but it felt like Bussi was moving around a lot more in the crease tonight than he usually does. He was rolling around and planted on his backside a lot, especially early. His game in the third period was a lot calmer, though. Bussi moved well, fought through traffic, and knocked down some dangerous chances. The only one he didn't get to was a well-placed one-timer in transition.
In front of him, the Canes didn't make life very easy for him, in either the offensive or defensive zone. They couldn't get shots off cleanly. Nikolaj Ehlers had a yawning cage to shoot into, but he couldn't corral a rebound. The same goes for Logan Stankoven. They hit a lot of iron, too. They didn't give their netminder the support he needed, and it isn't the first time that has happened this season.
All in all, the Canes are still looking very good after 10 games
We can use every excuse in the book to justify this loss, and while I think injuries to two of their centers and two of their better wingers are legitimate gripes, the group on the ice couldn't get it done tonight. It was their first loss since their second game of the season against Washington, and their first road loss of the campaign, dropping them to 7-2-1 overall.
The vibes might not be that high right now, especially after losing to, statistically, the worst team in the NHL, but this is not a bad clip to be playing at through ten games. It might not be the most sustainable pace, and it's certain to slip with injuries mounting, but I'd say that the Cup Hangover isn't affecting them too much on the ice.
One bad outcome isn't enough to spoil what has been an otherwise good start for the Hurricanes. They're a few weeks away from their trip abroad. If they can continue to trend in the right direction until then, getting healthy along the way, they'll be in good shape. It starts with getting a new winning streak started on Tuesday in Vancouver.
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