The Carolina Hurricanes improved to 2-0 to start the season yesterday with an overtime win in Washington. Here’s the post-game recap.
The first period largely belonged to Carolina. The Hurricanes had a couple good chances early on, including Joel Edmundson hopping into the play to get a good chance from the slot and a Martin Necas breakaway but Braden Holtby held strong. Sebastian Aho had the Hurricanes’ second breakaway of the period around the midway point but once again Holtby game up big.
Regardless, Washington opened the scoring just before the end of the period, when Joel Edmundson coughed up the puck to Garnet Hathaway who beat Reimer on a good shot from in close.
The Capitals went up 2-0 in the second period on a strange goal from T.J. Oshie. Jakub Vrana took a shot coming down the wing and Reimer popped it high into the air, only for it to come down and have Oshie push it across the line.
It was a weird goal but it didn’t look like Reimer was ready for the initial shot from Vrana and that’s one that can’t find its way in from that angle.
Carolina cut the lead to one early in the third period with a beautiful power play goal. Erik Haula finished off a great passing play, which went from Dougie Hamilton to Andrei Svechnikov to Teuvo Teravainen to Haula in a matter of seconds, leaving Holtby without a chance.
The Hurricanes tied it up on another passing play, when Warren Foegele put it to Jordan Martinook, who found Jaccob Slavin, who had jumped into the rush, alone in front. He caught the puck, dropped it and put it by Holtby to tie the game.
Jakub Vrana almost gave Washington the lead back when he put a shot past Reimer but off the crossbar while coming down the wing later in the third. Vrana is looking better than ever and seems to be making a real habit this season out of getting off great shots while coming down the wing. The game headed to overtime, where, after the Capitals couldn’t convert on a power play, Jake Gardiner cut in on a 2-on-1 and froze Holtby, beating him blocker side and winning it for Carolina.
Overall this was a good game for the Hurricanes. They were outshot but seemed to get the better even-strength scoring chances, especially early in the game.
While Reimer looked pretty uncomfortable in net at times and didn’t make a lot of saves that would have you looking twice, he made saves when he had to. He stopped 32 of 34 shots and helped the Hurricanes come up big on the penalty kill in overtime. All I’m saying is give him a chance and although it’s just one game, he got the job done, didn’t he?
The Hurricanes are back in action later today in Tampa Bay to face the Lightning (meaning I’ll have a pre-game report coming around 3 or 4 p.m., so check back then!)
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OTHER HURRICANES ARTICLES FROM OCTOBER
Game Recap (Game 1): CAR vs MTL
Hurricanes Updates- Gauthier, Forsberg and captaincy 
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