About Last Night: Mrazek’s Magic Shines Again

The man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Petr Mrazek did it again.

This time he took center stage at Denver’s Pepsi Center to a crowd of nearly 17,000 people. With the spotlight focused on his every move, Mrazek delivered another magical evening leaving fans of the Colorado Avalanche in utter disbelieve. It was truly MRaculous.

While it may be hard to believe what Mrazek is doing night in and night out, there’s no denying the amazing performance being displayed. For the Carolina Hurricanes, they have enjoyed that majestic performance the last six times Mrazek took the ice, and last night was no different.

Leading his team to a 3-0 victory, Mrazek helped the Canes jump back in to third place in the Metro. But despite his outstanding outing, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the great work by his young assistant, Andrei Svechnikov.

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The Good - Svech

Ah yes, the young assistant to the magician. The role of the assistant is the key to such a flawless performance. Without this important piece, the magician would have to worry about being absolutely perfect at all times fearing even the tiniest mistake that could ruin the entire show. But the assistant relieves some of that stress by giving the magician some room to work with and creating opportunities for the main star to take a breathe.

While it may be difficult to call Andrei Svechnikov an “assistant” on a night where he tallied three points, that was exactly the role he played last night. He gave Mrazek room to work with and the ease of knowing if he made a mistake it would not cost the team the game.

None of this is to take away from Svechnikov’s game because it too was spectacular. He was a presence everywhere on the ice for the entire game and it was evident from the very beginning that he was bound for a huge night.

(Warning, the following video may not be suitable for children or those with a weak stomach. This video is absolutely sick, filthy, gnarly, and 100% NSFW. Viewer discretion is advised... especially in Colorado.)

Another angle for good measure:

As if Teuvo Teravainen’s pass wasn’t sick enough, that finish by Svechnikov is beyond words.

Don’t forget this kid is only 18 years old!

While we have come to expect this type of play from the elderly players like Sebastian Aho, seeing this type of behavior from a teenager is hard to handle.

The best part? He gave everyone an encore on his empty netter.

This my friends is the work of a top tier magician in the making. For the days of Svechnikov the assistant are nearly gone. Svechnikov the headliner is about the be a real thing. Tickets are going fast in Raleigh so gets yours today! Don’t miss out on your chance to see this act in person before it’s too late.

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The Bad - de Haan’s injury

There’s nothing bad to say about the product on the ice last night. So we will skip past that and get straight to the worst thing from the game.

Calvin de Haan took a high stick to the head during the game and had to leave the game immediately. After the game it was reported that de Haan was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. With the team flying back over night that likely means he had to stay behind in Denver to be checked out.

There is no doubt how critical de Haan has been to the defensive group. His signing is the most underrated move from the off season without question. One can only hope that he is okay and can find his way back to the lineup soon.

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The Great - Peeeetttrrrrr Mrrrrrrrrrrrrraaazzzeeekkkkk

Last night Petr Mrazek didn’t just show up to play. He shined bright like a diamond. Razzled and dazzled. Brought down the house and slammed the door shut.

We’ve all seen some great performances by Mrazek over the season but last night may have been his best yet. Earning his fourth shutout of the year, Mrazek said no quite a few times on numerous Colorado opportunities.

None better than this save that he barely got with his stick:

Mrazek has now won six straight starts for the Hurricanes and is starting to take over the 1A spot in goal versus just a 50/50 split with Curtis McElhinney.

The energy Mrazek brings every night is that of a star. He wows with every performance and leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat with his flashy style. With his high quality of play there is no opponent that will want to face Mrazek as we go down the stretch. He is giving his team more than just a chance to win every night and that is exactly why the Hurricanes are in the thick of the playoff race.

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Moral of the Story

It just doesn’t get much better than last night. Mrazek showcased his magic once again and with a little help from young Andrei Svechnikov the Hurricanes have proven that Friday’s game was a complete fluke.

The de Haan injury is one to be concerned about but, in the worst case scenario, we will see Haydn Fleury draw back in to the lineup. After breaking curses at Madison Square Garden, in Vancouver, and now winning for the first time ever in regulation at Colorado, this team is proving to be something special. So in the case that Fleury has to play in place of de Haan, it would only seem fitting for him to score his first NHL goal this year.

As we look forward it seems this team can play with anyone on any given night. The goaltending is giving them a chance every game and it’s showing in the standings. Should Columbus lose tonight then the Canes will have a chance to go up six points on the Blue Jackets on Friday night with a game in hand. While that certainly wouldn’t knock the Jackets out of the picture it would really elevate the Hurricanes already strong chance of breaking the ultimate curse.

Now that would be the best magic trick of them all.