On the first night of a back-to-back, the Carolina Hurricanes came into this game on a sizzling run of form. Their opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers, had also been playing some great hockey as of late, with a 4-1-1 record in their past six games securing nine of a possible 12 points.
Credit to the Flyers, who put up a respectable fight especially in the first two periods, before the Hurricanes came out and scored three quick goals in the third to put the game out of reach. It was a vintage performance from the group, and it could have been a blowout if not for some massive saves from Flyers netminder Ivan Fedotov. As always, there are a few key things to talk about from the game, so let’s get right into it.
Sebastian Aho Makes History
In a game where the Hurricanes needed Sebastian Aho to play like his usual self, he showed up in a big way — by scoring his now franchise-record 58th game-winning goal for the club. The goal, which came just a minute into the third period, was his first five-on-five goal of the season and hopefully will be a confidence booster for him to start scoring closer to his usual rate.
Overall, I thought this game was one of Aho’s best of the season, even before the goal. He was flying around the ice, and routinely found himself in areas to disrupt play. He forechecked aggressively and with purpose, multiple times forcing errors from the Flyers in their own end. His line with Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic was swarming all night, and it was capped off with an Aho assist to Roslovic which effectively iced the game just minutes after the initial Aho goal. Overall, it was a vintage performance from the Finnish centerman, and a nice building block for the rest of the campaign.
Kochetkov Continues Great Form Since Return
Although he ultimately only missed one game, Pyotr Kochetkov’s injury provided a massive scare to the Hurricanes and their fanbase. With Frederik Andersen injured as well and no solid timeline for his return, a serious injury to Kochetkov could have been a devastating blow to the team’s promising season. Fortunately, he only missed one game due to his undisclosed injury, which Spencer Martin was able to step up and win.
In his two games since returning, Kochetkov has only allowed a single goal in each, while making 47 saves in the combined matches. His workload in the Flyers game was rather small — he faced only 19 shots — but was solid throughout and didn’t concede anything weak. With the reins to the crease largely in his hands moving forward, this is a huge chance for him to step up and show that he’s the number-one guy in goal. At age 25, he’s entering what should be considered his prime years as a goaltender, and it would be beneficial for everybody involved if he’s able to elevate his game to that next level and take firm control of the starting job.
Nečas Point Streak Ends At 13 Games
The best stretch of Martin Nečas’ career has come to an end, with his 13-game point streak being used as a sacrificial lamb in emerging victorious last night. The streak started back on Oct. 22 in Edmonton, and saw him amass 10 goals and 17 assists in that span. The Hurricanes have also won 12 of 14 games since the night the streak started, and have played some of their best overall hockey in recent memory.
Related: Hurricanes Prospect Updates: Rykov, Velmakin & a Look Back
With 30 points over 18 games to start the season, Nečas is mathematically on pace to score 137 points — a number I’m not sure a single soul could see him reaching just a couple months ago, although, I was optimistic about him taking a big leap forward. Even now, while 145 seems very unlikely reachable, there is no doubt that Nečas will shatter his previous career-high of 71 set back in 2022-23. For comparison’s sake, just last season it took him 43 games to reach the same 30 points. Of course, it’s not surprising to see him break out in such a glorious way — his speed, ability to create offense at a high pace and underrated shot have always been present — but the key has been finding consistency. Thus far, he’s shown that he’s taken that next step and has brought a superstar-level impact on a nightly basis, but in truth, the sample size is still small.
What’s Next for the Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are storming — if you will — with 12 wins in their last 14 games and a 14-4-0 record overall. They find themselves atop the Metropolitan Division once again, and have a chance to extend that lead as three of their next four games will be versus divisional opponents. They’re set to finish the month of November with a run of seven games in just 10 days, and it’ll be crucial for the team to stay healthy during this tough stretch.
