ALN: Carolina Comeback Number 3

For the third-straight game, the Carolina Hurricanes blew an early lead, fell behind, rallied late and won in extra time.

It’s the makeup of a scappy team that never goes away, but the Canes would definitely like to be a more resilient team in the second period, as they have surrendered 14 goals against in those periods alone.

But regardless the Hurricanes are finding ways to win and that’s exactly what happened last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning to spoil a career night by Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Let’s take a closer look at last night.

Shootout Confidence Builder?

The Canes have now won back to back shootouts, continuing their recent dominance in the skills competition.

Hopefully, the sick move that Teuvo Teravainen pulled off will help his confidence going forward, because I mean.. it was nasty.

And if that wasn’t shocking enough, Sebastian Aho... yes, Sebastian Aho, scored in the shootout.

And guess what? It wasn’t backhand, five-hole! He had a different move.

The best part of it all was that Vasilevskiy bit all in on a potential backhand, five-hole shot. He was expecting it and Aho undressed him.

That goal was Aho’s first shootout goal since 2017, going 0-for-8 since then, so maybe he will convert that swagger to an actual in-game breakaway? We can hope.

Even Strength Dominance, Special Team Woes

If the entire game was play at 5-on-5, the Hurricanes would have absolutely rolled the Lightning.

Carolina piled up the shots and dominated the possession game through even-strength with 55 total shots on net, a 63.33 Corsi For percentage and if not for Vasilevskiy awakening his powers, the score would have more likely reflected that dominance.

Also if not for the current ineptitude of the Hurricanes’ special teams.

The power play struggles continued, and although the Canes did convert on one of their chances it came in the first 20 seconds of that power play with Carolina just taking a ton of shots.

The Canes went 1-for-6 on the man advantage and, yet again, failed to convert on an overtime power play. The units look predictable and they’re keeping the puck to the perimeter way too much. The one goal they did score came from creating chaos with shots from all over, yet they didn’t attempt that strategy any other time.

The Hurricanes are 25th overall in power play percentage, with a 17.1% success rate, and that just shouldn’t be cutting it with the talent this team has.

Usually it would be a moot point, with the strength of the other side of special teams, but the Canes’ PK this year has also not been good.

The penalty kill is currently ranked 20th overall with a 76.9% success rate, which is a far cry from where it’s been the last few seasons.

Carolina surrendered two power play goals last night and has given up a power play goal in three straight games, which is not normal for a Rod Brind’Amour team.

The team needs to be a lot tighter, and more importantly, they need a better goaltender performance (more on that later), but a shorthanded goal late in a game to tie it up does go a long way to feeling a bit better about the PK.

LTDR: Even-strength = very good, special teams = not so good

Martin Necas

I’ll make this one quick because you’ve read enough about him game after game here already and what more can you say?

He’s a stud. Confidant with the puck, good vision, excellent skating and a rocket of a shot.

He and Andrei Svechnikov are carrying the team so far and Necas’ 14 points leads the team.

Also, he is on a five-game point streak which is the longest of his career.

LTDR: Necas = very, very good

Frederik Andersen

It has been a tough start to the season for Frederik Andersen.

Currently, the Danish netminder is rocking a 0.894 save percentage and 2.66 goals against average. The Canes aren’t conceding many shots, but Andersen is struggling to keep the ones that do come in out.

And it’s not like he’s been all bad, because he will have really strong periods, like he did in the third against the Lightning, but the inconsistency has been difficult to deal with.

The only way for Andersen to get through the funk is to play through it, but the Canes will definitely need to start seeing him turn it around sooner rather than later.

Random Notes

• Brent Burns had a slow start to the season, but is currently on a five-game point streak.
• Seth Jarvis got on the board with a rocket of a shot. Hopefully his confidence builds off of that.
• Brady Skjei’s shorthanded goal was his second ever, the first coming in a 6-5 win over the San Jose Sharks in 2018 when he was a New York Ranger.
• Carolina’s 55 shots on goal is the second most shots by a team this season.
• The Canes had nine players register at least four shots on goal: Burns, Aho, Noesen, Jarvis, Svechnikov, Slavin, Kotkaniemi, Teravainen, Necas