After a weird Saturday, which included same-day travel for the Carolina Hurricanes and a five-goal second period from the Colorado Avalanche, the Hurricanes faced the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. Without Seth Jarvis, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the Canes returned to their winning ways with a dominant 4-0 win.
Hurricanes Started on Time
Sporting a different lineup for the first time this season, Carolina returned to form in the first period. On the road against the number two team in the Pacific Division, they needed to start on time.
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The Hurricanes did just that.
Just over three minutes into the game, Eric Robinson deflected a Sean Walker shot in front of the blue paint past Adin Hill for the first goal of the contest and his fourth of the season. Martin Necas, who has had his fingerprints all over the team’s hot start, extended his point streak to 10 games. He spun around a Vegas defender and played the puck across the zone to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who put it in the wheelhouse for the one-timer from Walker.
NET. FRONT.
— Hurricanes On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Hurricanes) November 12, 2024
Robbie gets on the board!@Canes | #RaiseUp pic.twitter.com/DByRl6mOQA
Carolina goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was active early. Despite the Hurricanes outshooting the Golden Knights 16-4 in the first, Kochetkov had to be on his toes. Jack Eichel broke out of the zone and broke Dmitry Orlov’s ankles with a nice move and created space for a chance. However, Kochetkov disrupted the ensuing pass with an active stick, which fell to former Hurricane Nicolas Roy. Roy fired a shot on goal but was robbed by the young goaltender. Kochetkov, also aided by the post in the first period, made 30 saves on 32 shots to win his seventh consecutive start.
About eight minutes later, Kotkaniemi doubled the lead for Carolina. It was an almost picture-perfect rush. Kotkaniemi and Robinson forced a Vegas turnover at the Hurricanes’ blue line. After a quick pass to Necas, Robinson created a perfect middle lane drive to collapse the defense. Necas dropped the puck to a trailing Kotkaniemi, who was shut down on the first attempt by Hill but followed his shot to make it 2-0.
William Carrier, an original member of the Golden Knights, was honored in his first game back in Vegas as an opponent during the first period.
Hurricanes Shorthanded Second
Despite an early Vegas push, the Hurricanes returned to their game in the second period. Necas took a hooking penalty 3:27 into the second frame and the momentum seemed to swing in the Golden Knights’ favor.
Enter the Jordans.
Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, the Canes’ top penalty-killers, combined on the team’s first shorthanded goal of the season to crush any Vegas momentum. Martinook forced a Shea Theodore turnover behind the goal, and the puck slid directly to Staal in the slot. The captain slapped it home to make it 3-0 Carolina.
After killing the rest of the penalty, Tyson Jost inadvertently secured his first goal for Carolina. Off a Jack Drury faceoff win, Jaccob Slavin rocketed a shot on goal. The puck had eyes and deflected off Jost’s leg when he wasn’t looking at the puck. The wacky goal ended Hill’s night. Hill, who made 17 saves on 21 shots in 26:13 of ice time, can’t be blamed for this performance; it had more to do with the team’s effort in front of him.
Hurricanes Finish it Off
Even down four goals, Eichel will do Eichel things. Slavin stepped up to make a play in the neutral zone on Ivan Barbashev, but Eichel scooped up the loose puck. Brent Burns left his feet trying to disrupt Eichel, who waited out the veteran defender, and his shot squeezed through Kochetkov’s blocker arm and body for Vegas’ first goal of the game.
With nothing to lose, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy pulled his goalie for the extra attacker with just under six minutes to go in regulation and down 4-1. However, it went as well as the rest of the night did for Vegas. Martinook sealed the game with an empty-netter for his fifth goal of the season.
Barbashev scored a power-play goal with under 13 seconds left in the game. Kochetkov lost his stick on the play and a pass came through the crease and the ensuing shot ended up in the back of the net. If Kochetkov had his stick, the pass would likely have been deflected away.
Carolina moved to 11-3-0 on the season and into first place in the Metropolitan Division with the win. Next up, the Hurricanes head to Salt Lake City on Wednesday for their first-ever matchup with the newly-minted Utah Hockey Club.
