Coming off of a Friday loss for the second week in a row, the Hurricanes looked to again rebound quickly. At least on paper, the game set up well against a Buffalo Sabres team that has been struggling mightily of late.
Game recap
But the game did not start well at all. For the second day in a row, the Hurricanes came out a bit flat, and the opponent was better early. For the first time since donning a Hurricanes uniform, Curtis McElhinney looked shaky and unsure of himself out of the gate in Saturday’s game. The team’s slow start was compounded early when Curtis McElhinney more or less scored an own goal on an odd deflection off his own stick and through him into the net. That was followed by a Jack Eichel shot that went right through McElhinney but somehow did not find the net and also another Jeff Skinner shot that beat him but clanged the post. The usually calm McElhinney generally looked a bit scrambly trying to find the puck through most of the first period. But the same hockey gods that did the Canes an unfair deed in terms of opposing goaltending in Friday’s 3-0 loss despite 46 shots repaid the favor a bit. The Hurricanes relieved pressure and pulled even when a harmless Jordan Martinook shot from well out leaked through Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark. Lucas Wallmark tapped the puck from the blue paint and into the net to tie the game at 1-1. The Hurricanes would escape a lackluster first period lucky to be tied.
The Hurricanes and McElhinney would rebound a bit in the second period just like the night before. Teuvo Teravainen continued his run of heady playmaking plays with a head pass through Eichel’s legs to find Andrei Svechnikov on the back door for an easy goal. Shortly thereafter, Nino Niederreiter had a chance to build the lead but hit the post from point blank range. But the Hurricanes were still a bit sloppy. One run included three consecutive defensive zone turnovers by Pesce, Faulk and Aho. But McElhinney rebounded strongly in the second period, and the hockey gods chimed in again when Justin Williams flipped the puck at the net from an odd angle and then improbably found another hole through Ullmark. At that point, the Hurricanes had some breathing room with a 3-1 lead to end the second period. Though opposing goalie generosity definitely played a huge role too.
The third period was not the most exciting with a bunch of safe chip and chase hockey and a Sabres team that is struggling to generate offense even when desperately needing it. But the period did feature a nice mile stone with Jordan Staal pulling out an out of character spin-o-rama backhand goal for his 500th NHL point. Buffalo would score late to cut the lead to 4-2 but the game was in hand at that point, and 4-2 became the final score.
The game was not a pretty or particularly strong one for the Hurricanes, but on a day when Montreal and Pittsburgh lost in regulation and Columbus lost in overtime, slogging through and collecting two points was more than good enough.
Player and other notes
1) Curtis McElhinney
In his first start since last Friday’s 8-1 loss, McElhinney looked really shaky early. But he settled down and righted the ship quicklyi with a much better second period. From that point on, McElhinney resumed his run of solid play and emerged with a win.
2) Teuvo Teravainen
He continues his recent run of heady passes that are creating goals for those on the ice with him. His recent run includes two deflected point shots on the power and two very similar back door passes to set up tap in goals for Andrei Svechnikov.
3) Jordan Staal
Good for him collecting his 500th point. Obviously that is a huge milestone, and after a long run of often frustrating times as a Hurricane, it is great to see him reach the milestone on home ice in a win with playoff implications.
4) Very productive night in the standings.
With Montreal’s loss to Chicago, the Hurricanes now have a four-game lead with a game in hand for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Columbus lost in overtime, so the Hurricanes are back up a point on Columbus with a game in hand for the first wild card slot.
Finally, Pittsburgh also lost in regulation which pulls the Hurricanes within two points of the third playoff spot for the Metropolitan Division also with a game in hand on Pittsburgh.
Next up is a huge battle for third place in the Metropolitan Division against the Penguins on Tuesday at PNC Arena.
Go Canes!
Once the team found it’s physicality things got good for the Canes – Martinook with 5 hits, Faulk and Hamilton with 4 each, nevermind the quick fight of Ferland – there were a lot of fun things to watch tonight.
Wallmark’s dive between Ullmark and the goad to score the first Canes goal.
Svech, as always, skating around looking for someone to hit – he took out Skinner early, then tangled with Dahlin.
Staals goal was a thing of beauty – a power move combined with some finesse – the reaction he got when it was announced it was his 500th NHL point was a great thing to be a part of.
Mac repeatedly bailed us out (again) – which was fun to watch, but has to be a matter of concern.
Good comments on Turbo – he has really found his own groove separate from Aho as a playmaking wing.
I will be going under the knife on Monday so I will be missing Tuesday’s game unfortunately. That should be a great war.
Well wishes from the north…and a quick heal!
Thank you!
I didn’t start watching until mid-way in the 2nd, so I didn’t see the slow start. What I did see was a solid performance. While Williams’ goal was “leaky,” it was created by two shifts of strong hockey. I say two shifts because the Canes were able to get new players on the ice. The Sabres were not. It was a great example of working the offensive zone–as the goal came after almost 40 seconds in the attacking end. Wallmark, Martinook, Fleury, van Riemsdyk and Ferland all touched the puck and kept possession in the zone. When Niederreiter, Faulk, and Williams jumped on the ice they were not only fresh but had seen where Buffalo’s defense was weakening. No doubt it was a leaky play from Ullmark, but it was a goal the Canes earned. For almost a full minute it was team effort that involved every player on the ice. The sequence looked like a playoff-ready team.
My hope is that RBA and Bales commit to alternating starts for the remainder of the season. Both goalies are giving the team chances to win. There are still 2 back-to-back games left, so having a rested netminder will be important. Though given the team’s success in the second of successive games, it might actually be better if there were 6 back-to-back sets.
As Matt alluded to, the team found their way. That’s all that matters especially this time of year. The slow starts of late may be something to address in practice.
Tripp had a good point in post-game, saying to keep pushing up. PIT is not out of reach, and I think that adds extra motivation not only for Tuesday but down the stretch. A 4-pt lead for #8 slot is refreshing, but this is not the time to settle either. The team should be motivated for 3rd in Metro, it’s within reach.
Huge win given that Buf has been fading and how brutal the schedule remains. Pit and Tampa this week…
Both in Columbus and last night, I thought Aho did not look himself. He seems to have lost that extra fast gear and was a little loose with the puck. I think John or Tripp may have even acknowledged it post game. Makes me wonder if he’s battling an injury.
Another one of those wins where we weren’t sharp but figured out how to win and earn the two points against an inferior team – reminiscent of the type of game we played in January on the leg-up phase. We ended that phase with arguably our best game of the season against STL and there is every reason to think we can’t elevate our game against PIT in the same way. We’re going to have to.
TT has simply been outstanding lately and the driver of our offense. He was streaky in his first two years here but has been remarkably consistent this year. He has grown quite a bit this year as a player.
Tough schedule in front of us, but it’s fairly tough for every team so that’s not an excuse. We just have to go out and continue to earn points. MTL is in real trouble.
raleightj, good luck.
Thank you!
Raleightj, I hope everything works out well for you.