Hurricanes vs Ducks Recap: Canes Unable to Overcome 3-Goal Deficit in 4-2 Loss

A rested Carolina Hurricanes squad began a five-game home stand facing an Anaheim Ducks team that played in a road shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets last night. But the Ducks were the ones taking a strong early lead that the Canes were never able to close, eventually falling to the Ducks 4-2.

Just two minutes into the game, Anaheim’s Kevin Bieksa took a cross-checking penalty on Sebastian Aho to give the Hurricanes an early powerplay. Although unsuccessful on the powerplay, the Canes managed the first six shots on net of the game through the first eight minutes.

The Hurricanes penalty kill surge continued after Viktor Stalberg took a delay of game penalty halfway through the period. The game remained scoreless through the first, with the majority of the period favoring Carolina with 11 shots to Anaheim’s 9.

Anaheim would get on the board first as Ryan Kesler - who pestered Jeff Skinner all night - recorded his 5th goal of the season with a wrist shot past Cam Ward.

The Ducks would score two more unanswered goals as Jakub Silfverberg tapped in a hard Cam Fowler shot from the point past a sprawling Ward that rebounded off the end boards to put the Ducks up 2-0. Silfverberg would find the back of the net three minutes later after a Brett Pesce turnover led him to an unassisted goal.

With 15 minutes gone in the second, Teuvo Teravainen netted his third goal of the season, tipping in a shot from the point by Jaccob Slavin.

Early in the third, the Hurricanes showed their hunger as Jeff Skinner dug the puck out from a scrum behind the Anaheim net and quickly passed it to Victor Rask, who used his timely release to elevate the puck over Jonathan Bernier to put the Hurricanes within a goal.

Despite spectacular play on both ends of the ice by the Hurricanes, outshooting the Ducks 8-6 in the period, Kesler found the empty net for his second of the game and iced the game 4-2.

Cam Ward finished the night with a .885 save percentage, allowing 3 goals on 26 Shots. Bernier finished with a .933 save percentage, allowing 2 goals on 28 shots.

The Hurricanes continue their home stand against their Metropolitan foe Washington Capitals Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 pm.

Rank the Performances

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