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The Carolina Hurricanes picked up a key win over the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday, coming away with a 3-2 victory.
Both teams were heading into the game with a lot of momentum, with the Hurricanes on a four-game winning streak and a 10-game point streak, while the Penguins were riding a seven-game winning streak of their own.
We saw a relatively even first period, but Pyotr Kochetkov did notably have to make a really nice 2-on-1 save on Ryan Poehling to keep the game scoreless. The Hurricanes ended up with a couple penalties which didn’t help, but it was a competitive opening frame.
Carolina put together a strong second period, outshooting Pittsburgh 13-6, and managed to strike early, doing a good job forcing a turnover on the forecheck, before Derek Stepan beat Casey DeSmith with a nice shot from in-close to open the scoring. Despite Carolina limiting chances for Pittsburgh at even strength though, they continued taking penalties and finally, the Penguins capitalized, with Rickard Rakell redirecting a shot to tie the game.
The Penguins then took their first lead of the game about five minutes into the third period, as former Hurricane Brock McGinn took a pass on a rush and his shot ramped off Jaccob Slavin’s stick and in. However, the Hurricanes responded only shortly after, as Brady Skjei’s shot from the point managed to find its way in, tying the game once again. Then later in the period, Jesper Fast got the puck over to Jordan Staal for a tap-in in front, as Carolina pulled ahead once again. The Hurricanes managed to hold on from there, picking up a big 3-2 win.
It’s a huge win for Carolina, beating a team who was just as hot as they’ve been recently. Carolina was also coming in on the second half of a back-to-back, while Pittsburgh had two days of rest since their last game.
The victory marks Carolina’s fifth straight win, while their point streak also reached 11 games.
Pyotr Kochetkov only seems to just be getting more and more comfortable as well, and he can pretty consistently be counted on for big saves. He’s now sitting at a .923 save percentage through 14 games.
Brady Skjei’s goal also marked his sixth of the year, already closing in the career-high he set last season, being nine goals. Between this season and last, Skjei has managed to add a lot of offense from the blue line and especially with defensive lapses coming much less frequently than a couple years ago, he’s played a huge role in the team’s success (averaging the most minutes per game of his career so far this year).
Stefan Noesen picked up an assist in the win as well, now with eight points in his last 11 games. While he did post huge numbers in the AHL last year, his five goals and 15 points in 30 games come as a great surprise, and he's been a key addition for Carolina.
The Hurricanes will wrap up their homestand tomorrow in another massive contest, when they face the New Jersey Devils, with top spot in the Metropolitan Division up for grabs.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
Jordan Martinook scores hat trick, Canes down Blues for third straight win
Hurricanes beat Kings for fourth straight win
Hurricanes’ four-game winning streak snapped in overtime loss to Ducks
Hurricanes continue impressive road trip with shutout win over Islanders
Pyotr Kochetkov looks like Hurricanes' long-term solution in net
Hurricanes continue to build momentum following successful road trip 
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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