Follow me on Twitter:
@BenShelley_20
Follow HockeyBuzz Hurricanes on Twitter:
@HB_Canes
The Carolina Hurricanes opened their six-game road trip with a win last night, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime.
After a quiet power play from the Hurricanes early in the game, the Penguins opened the scoring, with Jake Guentzel getting a pass to Sidney Crosby in front, who managed to squeak the puck through Pyotr Kochetkov. Carolina did come alive a little bit as the period went along and caused some problems on the forecheck but it remained 1-0 Pittsburgh through 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes came out flying in the second frame though and after killing a penalty, Martin Necas got Carolina on the board, burying a loose puck in-close. While Pittsburgh did start to get back into the period after that, Andrei Svechnikov managed to give Carolina their first lead later in the frame on wraparound, after Tristan Jarry couldn’t control Sebastian Aho’s initial shot.
The Penguins built some momentum through the first half of the third period and ended up outshooting Carolina 14-8. While the Hurricanes were able to hold off Pittsburgh for the majority of the frame though, Jake Guentzel managed to redirect a shot from Jeff Petry in the final minute of regulation, tying the game.
In the extra frame though, Seth Jarvis threw a huge hit in the neutral zone and all three of Pittsburgh's players got caught, as the Hurricanes went in on a 2-on-0 and Andrei Svechnikov put a pass across to Brett Pesce, who beat Jarry to end it.
It was a competitive game from the Hurricanes, outshooting Pittsburgh 39-32 overall. After losing four overtime games in the last two weeks alone, it was also good to see the Hurricanes finally able to pull out a win after regulation.
Pyotr Kochetkov was good once again (despite somewhat of a weak first goal), and it’s going to make for a really interesting situation when Frederik Andersen returns from injury. Kochetkov has posted a .917 save percentage over seven games so far and has been really consistent in that stretch. With Antti Raanta in the mix as well, will the Hurricanes look to trade Raanta? Or does Kochetkov really get sent back to the AHL? Carrying three goalies doesn’t seem like a viable option.
This also marked Jordan Martinook’s 500th NHL game. Martinook has been working well on his line with Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast and deserves credit for a good start to the season, that’s come with his consistent work ethic.
It’s a key win to open the road trip, as Carolina looks to continue getting back on track following their long losing streak. They’ll be back in action tomorrow, when they face the St. Louis Blues.
In other news, the Hurricanes also announced today that they’ve acquired defenseman Zack Hayes from the Vegas Golden Knights, in exchange for future considerations.
Hayes is 23 years old and has spent the season with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights, registering one assist in 14 games. He played three NHL games with Vegas last season, and is on the final year of a contract that carries an $805,000 cap hit. Hayes will be a restricted free agent this summer.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM NOVEMBER
Analyzing the Ethan Bear trade
Hurricanes fire 55 shots on goal, squeeze past Lightning in shootout
Sebastian Aho scores hat trick, Canes beat Sabres for fourth straight win
Hurricanes’ four-game winning streak ends with loss to Maple Leafs
Martin Necas on his way to becoming a star with Hurricanes
Hurricanes shut out by Panthers for second straight loss
Andrei Svechnikov scores another hat trick against Oilers, Canes win 7-2
Hurricanes fall flat against Avalanche in 4-1 loss
Pyotr Kochetkov earns first NHL shutout as Hurricanes defeat Blackhawks
Hurricanes outplay Avalanche but fall short for overtime loss
Hurricanes allow late goal, lose to Wild in overtime
Hurricanes stage comeback with three late goals but fall in OT to Jets
Hurricanes shut out by Coyotes, Kochetkov signs four-year extension
Lack of scoring a major concern for Hurricanes at quarter mark of season 
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»