Canes Corner | Carolina Hurricanes podcast from 99.9 The Fan

For 50 minutes the Canes couldn't figure out a way through Lukas Dostal and the Ducks.  Then Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play and Seth Jarvis got the equalizer with less than a minute to play in regulation to at least get the Hurricanes to overtime.  But, Cutter Gauthier's second goal of the game gave Anaheim the overtime win.  Carolina failed in their attempt to win 3 in a row for the first time since before Thanksgiving when the beat the Senators, St Louis and Philadelphia November 16, 17 and 20th, respectively.  Pyotr Kochetkov allowed 3 goals on 20 shots.

Jordan Staal scored for the 3rd straight game and Dustin Tokarski recorded his first shutout with the Hurricanes as Carolina beat the Canucks, 2-0. It was the second straight win for the Canes who have now won consecutive games for the first time since December 15th (Columbus) and 17th (NY Islanders).  Andrei Svechnikov scored his 14th goal of the season in the second period on a gorgeous individual play coming out of the corner to the right of the Vancouver net as he extends his point streak to 4 straight. Tokarski stopped 14 shots in the win, his 4th in 5 starts for Carolina.

In honor of the team retiring Eric Staal's number 12, teammates, close friends, and broadcasters tell us why Eric Staal was such a special player and person. From an 18-year old rookie, through a stint in the minor leagues to the Captaincy, Eric Staal also sparked a Shock at the Rock. If you are a Caniac, you will love this look back! 

The Canes fell behind 2-0 for the second straight game. And, for the second straight game, ended up winning. This time they win it 6-3, thanks to a Jordan Staal hat trick. Sunday, against the Penguins, they needed overtime. But that 2-0 deficit was well-earned on the part of Carolina. So many players struggled to make plays that you could have played Yakkety Sax in the background. It had a very strong Benny Hill feel to it. Eric Robinson's 10th goal of the season, however, was the most critical piece of tonight's puzzle. His goal, off a rebound of a Ty Smith point shot, gave the Hurricanes hope after a dreadful start. And, when Andrei Svechnikov found Staal in front with 17 seconds after Robinson's marker, the Captain brought the game level. Staal's hat trick was the 5th of his career and the second with the Canes. Jackson Blake's 9th goal of the season ends up being the winner. That is his 5th, tying him with Martin Necas for 1st on the team. Pyotr Kochetkov was excellent tonight, stopping 30 Toronto shots. 

The Canes fell behind Tampa Bay twice, responded with game-tying goals twice, but couldn't recover from Brayden Point's 24th goal of the season. Point's game winner, with less than 1 minute to play in the 3rd period, was the only blemish on an otherwise great performance by Pyotr Kochetkov. Carolina's goaltender made 31 saves, several of them at point blank range, but couldn't prevent Point's game-winner from sending the Hurricanes home with nothing to show for a game effort. Andrei Svechnikov snapped a 9-game goal drought with a 2nd period goal. Jordan Staal scored midway through the 3rd to tie the game at 2. 

Sebastian Aho's 13th goal of the season gave the Canes a 4-3, overtime win over Pittsburgh and capped a rally from a 2-0 firsst period deficit.  Aho's 3rd point of the night was the 600th of his career and helped wash away the taste of being shut out Saturday night by the Minnesota Wild.  Seth Jarvis, who came in having scored just once in his last 13 games, buried a pair (10th and 11th) in the 2nd period as the Canes scored 3 times to turn a 2-deficit into a 3-2 lead entering the third.  Jalen Chatfield's 4th goal of the year tied the game at 2.  Dustin Tokarski made 16 saves for his 3rd win in 4 starts for the Hurricanes.

The Canes lost, 4-0, at home to the Minnesota Wild Saturday night.  The game really started off poorly as Carolina was given a 4-minute power play early in the first period.  But, they did nothing with it, generating just one shot on goal and it wasn't even a deemed a scoring chance by the analytics community.  The Canes two best chances to score in the entire game came just a few minutes apart as Sebastian Aho set up Seth Jarvis in front of Filip Gustavsson, but the Minnesota goaltender turned both aside.  Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves in the loss.  The Hurricanes have not won consecutive games since December 15 (Columbus) and 17 (NY Islanders).

Pyotr Kochetkov was the game's first star as the Canes beat the Panthers, 3-1, in Florida. Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin scored goals for Carolina and Martin Necas iced the game into the empty net with 28 seconds left. Burns' goal came just 35 seconds into the game as his shot banked off Florida captain Alexsander Barkov and went past Sergei Bobrovsky. Then Slavin broke a 1-1 tie at 12:30 of the 3rd when he deposited a rebound of a Scott Walker drive from the right point. The whole play made possible by Jesperi Kotkaniemi's middle lane drive in which he was upended and sent into the crease - and forcibly held there - by Florida's Matthew Tkachuk. Kotchetkov made 25 saves in the win. 

The Canes lost a 3rd period lead in Columbus and ended up losing in a shootout for the second time this year.  This time the score was 4-3 and the Hurricanes actually had a lead in the shootout through an Andrei Svechnikov goal.  But, Pyotr Kochetkov couldn't stop Kent Johnson and Adam Fantilli and when Sebastian Aho failed to extend to a 5th round the Jackets had their second shootout win over Carolina this year.  Ty Smith scored his first goal with the Hurricanes -- on the power play -- in the 1st period.  Jack Roslovic and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored 2:31 apart in the second period to put the Canes in front.  Aho finished with two assists and now has 40 points in 37 games.

The Canes fell behind twice, but scored the final four goals of the game and beat the Devils, 5-2.  Sebastian Aho's 12th goal of the season drew Carolina even at 2-2 early in the 3rd period and then Jackson Blake's 8th of the year put the Hurricanes ahead to stay.  The Aho marker came just 51 seconds after Ondrej Palat put New Jersey on top 2-1, but Aho's shot went off Jake Allen and into the net to level the game.  Blake's goal, a deflection of a Jesperi Kotkaniemi wrist shot, came near the end of a major penalty given to Devils forward Timo Meier who was ruled to have gone knee to knee on Martin Necas.  Meier was given a 5-minute major and a game misconduct and Necas, who needed to be helped off the ice, was able to return.  Jack Roslovic closed out the scoring with his 15th and 16th goals of the year.  The latter into an empty net.  Dustin Tokarski steered aside 21 shots for his second win in 3 starts for the Hurricanes.

The Canes fell in Jersey, 4-2, as Jakob Markstrom made 29 saves -- several of them spectacular -- sending Carolina to their 3rd loss in their last 4 games.  Carolina is now 5-8-0 in their last 13 games and will skate with the same Devils team Saturday night in Raleigh.  Eric Robinson gave the Hurricanes the lead with his 9th goal of the season in the middle of the 1st period.  But, New Jersey scored twice, 42 seconds apart, late in the period to turn the game in their favor.  Brent Burns' 3rd of the season, 22 seconds into the 2nd and just after a power play expired, brought the Canes back level.  But, about 4 minutes later, Luke Hughes pounced on a rebound and the Hurricanes found themselves trailing again.  

The Canes spotted the Predators a 4-0 lead, fought back with two goals to close the gap, but couldn't get closer and lost 5-2 in Nashville. Dustin Tokarski allowed 4 goals on 25 shots, but was the least of Carolina's problems. The Hurricanes had trouble sustaining any offensive pressure on Nashville goaltender, Juuse Saros - at least until the Preds were already ahead by 4 goals. And, by then, it was too late. Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho had the goals for the Hurricanes. 

The Canes beat the Rangers, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden thanks to a stellar performance from goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.  Coming off a 3-1 loss in Washington in which Kochetkov allowed a soft, late-second period goal, Carolina's goalie was the game's first star.  He gave up a Jimmy Vesey goal just 17 seconds into the game, but turned out the lights on Broadway the rest of the way.  And, if you throw away the bad goal allowed to the Caps, Kochetkov has been outstanding the last three games.  William Carrier and Jack Roslovic each scored goals that could be attributed to Carolina's power play.  Carrier's came just a few seconds after it expired. Roslovic's at the very end of a 4-minute double-minor that he drew when Alexis Lafreniere rearranged his dental work in the middle of the 2nd.  Sebastian Aho added an empty net goal as the Canes have now taken the first two games of the season series with New York.

Two late period goals doomed the Canes in their 3-1 loss to the Capitals. Aliaksei Protas scored with 43 seconds left in the 1st period. Then, his net-front screen allowed Connor McMichael to make it 3-0 with 27 seconds left in the 2nd. In between Jakub Vrana scored his 5th of the season. Charlie Lindgren stopped 24 of 25 shots on goal. The one he didn't was Seth Jarvis' 9th goal of the season. That goal snapped a 5-game goal drought. 

Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 32 shots for his first shutout of the season as the Canes ran away from the Islanders, 4-0, at Lenovo Center. Kochetkov's best performance of the season featured nearly a dozen excellent saves as he allowed the Hurricanes to find their game and cruise to victory. Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring on the power play in the first period. Jordan Martinook made it 2-0 less than 3 minutes later putting home a rebound of a Jordan Staal shot. Then Tyson Jost and Sebastian Aho scored in the 2nd period for the final margin. Aho's goal, on a 2-on-1 rush with linemate Eric Robinson, came with 17 seconds left in the period, was the dagger that sent the visitors to the canvas. Shayne Gostisbehere had 2 assists on the night and has 27 points in 31 games. The Hurricanes were 1 for 2 on the power play and killed off New York's lone man advantage opportunity. 

Dustin Tokarski made 27 saves and the Canes got a huge shorthanded goal from Sebastian Aho in a 4-1 win over Columbus.  Tokarski, a 35-year old journeyman netminder starting an NHL game for his 6th different team, starred in his Hurricanes debut and his new teammates played a solid game from start to finish in the win.  The Canes were really led by the Captains line as Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook and William Carrier combined for 5 points in the win.  Staal assisted on two goals while Martinook and Carrier each snapped 13-game goal droughts in the victory.  Jesperi Kotkaniemi's 5th closed out the scoring on the night.  Also worth noting that for the first time -- I think since the earth cooled -- the Hurricanes came out on the good end of a goaltender interference challenge as Martinook's 2nd period goal was upheld after video review.  Of course, they did have a goal ruled out for a hand pass on the ensuing power play, so the world can continue to spin on its axis.

The Canes were shut out by the Senators, 3-0, at Lenovo Center as Linus Ullmark did something he had never done before in his NHL career. As a starter for Buffalo and then Boston, Ullmark had appeared in 9 games against the Canes in the regular season and payoffs combined without ever recording a win. 32 saves later, Ullmark had his first against Carolina. Shane Pinto scored twice, his first two goals since opening night, and Nick Jenson added another, as the Hurricanes fell to 2-5-0 in their last 7 games. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 19 shots in the loss. Carolina was 0-2 on the power play. 

* Adam is joined on the podcast by special guest, former PGA Tour golfer, Brad Fritsch, to discuss the game. 

The Canes scored twice in the 3rd period, rallying to beat the Sharks, 3-2. Carolina was borderline lifeless for 40 minutes, but woke up and put on a very Canes-like display in the 3rd, scoring twice and dominating possession in the win. Brent Burns and Jalen Chatfield scored the goals and Pyotr Kochetkov overcame a rough first two periods to make some very good saves in the win. The Canes had just 13 5-on-5 goals over their last 9 games, but scored 3 times at normal strength. All three goals came through the blue line as Shayne Gostisbehere scored his 6th of the season to open the scoring. Burns' 2nd and Chatfield's 3rd provided the comeback. Kochetkov made 21 saves for his 12th win of the season. 

Adversity has arrived at Lenovo Center as the Canes lost to the Kraken, 4-2. It was their 3rd loss in a row. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist in the loss and he nearly added a second assist as it was his pass to Jack Drury that lead to an apparent goal that gave the Canes a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period. But, that goal was waved off for goaltender interference. But, the better team tonight won the game. Carolina was held to a season low 18 shots on goal and just 2 in the 2nd  period. It was the first time in more than 2 seasons that Carolina was held to as few as 2 shots on goal in a complete period. Pyotr Kochetkov allowed 4 goals in his first game since November 23.

For the first time this year the Canes lost consecutive games.  One night after losing at home to the Panthers, 6-3, Carolina fell apart in the 3rd period in a 6-0 setback.  Spencer Martin yielded 5 goals for the 2nd straight night, the sixth was allowed by rookie Yaniv Perets who came on in relief after Adam Boqvist made it 5-0.  Carolina has now been outscored 9-0 by the Panthers in the last 4 periods.  

The Canes dropped the final game of the holiday home stand, 6-3, to the Florida Panthers.  The day after Thanksgiving didn't treat Carolina well.  Too many turnovers and suspect goals allowed by Spencer Martin spoiled a perfect week at Lenovo as the Hurricanes' 9-game home winning streak came to an end.  Seth Jarvis scored on the power play in the 1st period.  Sean Walker and Eric Robinson get the Canes even at 3-3 in the 2nd.  But, too many turnovers in the 3rd led to goals from A.J. Greer and Anton Lundell -- the latter the Panthers' 7th shorthanded goal of the season -- and the Hurricanes could not dig out of the hole.  The same two teams will play Saturday afternoon in Ssunrise, Florida.

The Canes scored twice in a 2:07 span of the 3rd period to beat the Rangers, 4-3, at Lenovo Center. Jesperi Kotkaniemi's 3rd goal of the season - a wraparound bid that he stuffed (like a turkey) between the pads of New York goalie Igor Shesterkin - tied the score at 3. Just over two minutes later, with former Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck in the penalty box, Jackson Blake took a pass from Jack Drury and wristed the Canes into the lead. It was Blake's 7th goal of the season, 2nd most among NHL rookies. Drury opened the scoring with his 3rd goal of the season - quite possibly off the mask of Shesterkin - just short of the 5-minute mark. Seth Jarvis scored on the power play early in the 2nd period to give the Canes a 2-1 lead. Spencer Martin won his 2nd straight game with 20 saves. Carolina wakes up on Thanksgiving Day with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 16-5-1. 

The Canes scored five times in the 3rd period to rally past the Stars, 6-4, as they opened this 3-game home (for the holiday) stand in style. Sebastian Aho, Brent Burns, Shayne Gostisbehere, Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov each tallied in the final frame for the win. Carolina entered the third period trailing 3-1 having turned the puck over on each of Dallas' goals. The one bright spot was the penalty kill, which provided the only goal to that point as Seth Jarvis' stellar play started a breakout that he finished to tie the game at 1-1 in the 1st period. On the night, the Canes would be +3 on special teams as they scored twice on the power play and shut down the Stars three different times. Spencer Martin made 14 saves in the win. Carolina outshot the Stars 15-6 in the third period. The holiday festivities continue Wednesday against the Rangers. 

The Devils scored twice on the power play and beat the Canes 4-2 in Newark. Carolina's 3-game win streak is over. Jack Roslovic and Andrei Svechnikov each scored for the Hurricanes, the latter coming just 12 seconds into the 3rd period to tie the score at 2. But, Spencer Martin misplayed a puck behind his own net and that led to Dougie Hamilton's go-ahead goal. Jesper Bratt's second goal of the game - on the power play - gave the Devils their final goal. Martin Necas assisted on the Svechnikov goal, his 20th helper of the year. 

The Hurricanes scored three times in 5:54 early in the 3rd period to race away from the Flyers in  a 4-1 victory. The win was Carolina's 3rd in a row and moved them back to the top of the Metropolitan Division with a 14-4-0 record. Their 28 points are 1 better than Washington (13-4-1). The Canes will play at 3rd place New Jersey (12-7-2) Thursday night in Newark. Jalen Chatfield put the Hurricanes in front just 30 seconds into the 1st period with his first goal of the season. Sebastion Aho broke a 1-1 tie at 1:03 of the 3rd with his 5th of the year. Remarkably, it was the first goal of the season for Aho at 5-on-5. Jordan Staal redirected a Dimitry Orlov shot five minutes later that found its way into the Philly net for a 3-1 score. Then Jack Roslovic's 10th goal of the season followed 55 seconds later to make it 4-1. Aho's goal was the game-winner, the 58th such goal of his career, moving him past legend Ron Francis into first place on the franchise all-time list. Staal's goal was the 23rd in his career against the Flyers, more than against any other opponent in his career. Pytor Kochetkov made 18 saves in the win, his 10th of the season.