Hurricanes at Stars – The Recap

Coming off the Hurricanes 4-3 OT win against the Blackhawks yesterday, one thing lingered in the back of my mind – while I am happy that we won, we left a lot to be desired when it comes to our start in these past few games.  True, it is a sign of resilience – if we don’t have these tough moments starting the game behind the 8-ball in season, how can we possibly know we can handle tough moments when the games get tougher?  I’ll take the win – but I would really like it if we could get off to better starts.

Tonight, less than 24 hours after that win in Chicago, the Hurricanes were back in action to take on the Dallas Stars.  Earlier this season, we beat Dallas at home 6-4 – and ideally, it would be nice if we could get off to a good start and come away with two points. 

Below are my thoughts on the game:

• The Svechnikov-Aho-Blake line has been noticeable in different ways this game – for the whole line, they looked dangerous and hungry early on, dominating offensive zone time when on the ice in the 1^st period.  Svechnikov, in particular, came out with a little bit of jump early on, keeping pucks in the zone.  As the game wore on, Andrii was called for not one but two slashing penalties that we ultimately had to kill off.  While Aho and Blake continue to play solid hockey, their linemate is still, after all these years, getting put in the box for stick infractions.  Overall, good shifts for this line.  I just would love to not see Svech in the box as much.
• More on Andrii Svechnikov – his first shot on goal came with 14:00 to go in the 3^rd period.  He had a lot more puck possession than that – I noticed many times during the game that he was looking for a high-level pass instead of putting the puck on net.  In the type of game that was being played – direct shots to the net with Blake providing net front could provide a spark (and potential goal) we need.  One final bow to this Svechnikov rant – yes, he took two penalties.  And yes, he has been a pass first guy as of late.  But with about five and a half minutes to go, he made a key stick play in his own end to nullify a chance for Dallas.  He is going to eventually pull it all together – and when he does, look out.
• Pyotr Kochetkov got the start in net tonight.  As with any back-to-back situations, you’ll see one goalie on the front end and the other on the back end.  Throughout the game, PK was nothing short of brilliant.  He didn’t see a lot of shots his way through two, but when he did see shots, they were typically of the high danger variety, and he was every bit up to the task.  A few examples to highlight:
• An early power play netted a couple chances for the Stars, which Kochetkov was able to snuff out calmly and keep them from getting on the board.
• With about 1:20 to go in the first period, he made an excellent save to keep it scoreless
• He made another stellar save in the 2^nd period on Jamie Benn from point blank range.
• While we were on the power play, the Stars jumped a pass for a breakaway and Kochetkov made a great save to, again, keep it scoreless.
• Finally, in the third, when the Stars were buzzing with around 13:00 to go, PK kept cool and steady in net, even creating his own luck.  There were a couple of stick plays by our defense that he was in position to make the save anyway, even if we had not gotten a stick to it.  Another instance a puck rang off the post – but again, PK was coming across and likely makes a save if it is on net. 
• The goal PK did give up, he was out of his crease a good bit and kind of overcommitted – ultimately giving up a tap in on a puck that was sitting behind him in the goal crease. 
• Jaccob Slavin could be the first star of the game most games.  This dude rarely has a big night on the score sheet, but he does all the dirty work on the defensive end – whether it be a smart stick play, a backcheck to steal the puck or the high IQ play of popping it out of the zone and having the puck die right before the goal line to prevent icing.  All the things you can’t quantify – yet all the things that are so important in a game.  Being paired with Brent Burns has been a challenge some for him this season – Slavo does his job night in, night out. 
• The Robinson-Kotkaniemi-Necas line really stepped it up the 2^nd and 3^rd periods – both goals for Kotkaniemi.  Robinson and Necas just work well together – I wouldn’t adjust that at all.  This line was our best line offensively late in the game.
• More on Eric Robinson:
• This guy didn’t get credit for an assist on the first goal of the game for the Hurricanes, but he was a large reason why we got on the board.  His pressure in the offensive zone to create a turnover was great.  The next level piece to it was when Necas retrieved the puck at the left dot and sent it to the right dot to KK for the shot and goal, Eric Robinson is driving full speed to the net to, if nothing else, freeze Oettinger for possibly a split second.  KK dusted and settled the puck before shooting top shelf, but Oettinger could have easily thought that puck was being fed to Robinson who was in the process of beating his man to the net.
• Additionally, he beat an icing which led to a grade-A chance for KK that ultimately didn’t see the back of the net in the early goings of the 2^nd period. 
• A final note – his pressure in the offensive zone forces his opponent into a quick feed out and, in some instances, a turnover in the neutral zone.  A turnover from his pressure happened on at least more than one occasion tonight.
• Our power play is a collective 1-for-34 recently.  I get to a certain extent why the 1^st unit hasn’t generated much lately.  The 2^nd unit has played OK, but I’d consider injecting someone like a Jordan Staal on that unit to try to get a big body in front of the net and have Jackson Blake use his skill and shot a little more and be the net front on that unit a little less.  Might be worth considering moving Staal in and either Roslovic or Drury out.
• Kevin Weekes and I can disagree – he believes we should run with Andersen if the playoffs were to start today.  As I have mentioned before, Kochetkov (in my opinion) should be the guy in net.  It’s OK to disagree.
• I was a bit surprised to see that we had the third best odds to win the Stanley Cup according to the oddsmakers.  I’m not sure what they know that I don’t – and I don’t want to get overly excited about that.  Just a reminder to me (and to the masses) that while we may be going through “a slump” in our play at times, we are still a Top 5 team even in a “down year”.
• Dallas really put the pressure on us, starting in the 2^nd and really keeping it up through the 3^rd.  The difference in the game was we were defensively sound in our own end and clogged things up in the neutral zone when Dallas needed to bring it through.  They had their chances – a hand full of grade-A’s – but Kochetkov was dialed in.
• I thought the ESPN team of John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes did a great job calling the game – never once did I feel that either one of them tilted their excitement one way or the other.

This game was well played from the opening puck drop.  Both teams came to play, played a tight game, and in the end, it was an even game.  Both teams had their chances – in the end, it was another Carolina Hurricanes win, with a score of 2-1.  When the Hurricanes play this type of game where they are committed to a 200-foot game, they can play with pretty much any team.  I felt that they got there tonight and did it against a team that is kind of a mirror image of us in the way each team plays.  I also thought that this was the first time in a while that our goalie won us the game.  Great game by PK!

Up next:  The Canes are back home on Thursday to play the surging Columbus Blue Jackets.