Niederreiter scores twice as Hurricanes fight past Blackhawks 5-3
There’s no denying it anymore. Whatever Nino Niederreiter was doing wrong for the Carolina Hurricanes last year, he’s doing right this year. He’s a different player.
The puck is going in the net. He’s getting some breaks and working for them. He’s physical. He’s making plays. He fits in well on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Martin Necas.
Niederreiter had two more goals and added an assist Friday as the Canes fought past the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 at PNC Arena. The winger was the first star in a game where the Canes (11-3-1) controlled play for much of the 60 minutes and scored three times in the third period.
Trocheck and Necas both scored goals, and it was power-play goals by Necas and then Niederreiter in the third period that pushed the Canes ahead 4-2. Jaccob Slavin’s late empty net goal sealed it, allowing the Canes to look at what lies ahead: four straight games against the Tampa Bay Lightning after the NHL postponed a second Canes-Hawks game set for Saturday and slotted in the Lightning.
Chicago’s Patrick Kane, called by Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour arguably the best player in the NHL, had a Patrick Kane moment, scoring on a dazzling spin-o-rama backhander in the second. Ian Mitchell’s goal in the final seconds of the second period then made it a 2-2 tie.
But this night belonged to the Canes and Niederreiter, who scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season -- that after scoring 11 in 67 games last season. He assisted on Trocheck’s goal, the eighth for the center.
“He’s getting pucks to go in and last year he couldn’t buy one,” Brind’Amour told reporters. “When it doesn’t happen, it snowballs and you kind of fight it versus the opposite. Now that a few have gone in it snowballs the other way and you feel like you can’t miss, and that’s kind of what’s happened here.”
Brind’Amour called it “Sports Psychology 101,” adding, “I don’t know that he’s playing any differently or anything. I just feel like the confidence is definitely flowing in him right now.”
Traded to the Canes in January 2019 from Minnesota, he had an immediate impact and was a big part of Carolina reaching the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. His play was spotty last season and the production not there.
“When I first got traded, things went very well and then I had a hiccup year,” he said. “I was definitely not very happy with the year I had last year. I’m glad to find that jam again and play the way I am right now.
“When things go your way it’s obviously easier to talk about it. There was a lot of overthinking and trying to do too much and wanting to be too good, instead of lay back and just play you know how to play.”
His first goal Friday came when he took a pass from Slavin and fired a shot from the left circle, the puck glancing off Blackhawks defenseman Nikita Zadorov and past goalie Kevin Lankinen. Necas had a hand in the goal, making a hit along the wall to free the puck.
When the Canes last played in Hartford Whalers retro jerseys, Niederreiter scored the first goal. He did it again, later joking he liked the feel of the uniform as Carolina broke out its new reverse retro sweaters, which had more of a gray hue.
Necas scored his power-play goal when his shot hit off Lankinen, hit the crossbar and the puck bounced up in the air, then fell into the net as Chicago defenseman Calvin de Haan tried to swat it away. Neiderreiter’s came on a nifty centering pass in front from Jesper Fast as Necas also had a helper.
“He’s playing really good, in front of the net, around the net,” Necas said. “He always creates a little space there.”
Not to be overlooked was the third-period play of goalie James Reimer, who was fighting it at times the first two periods but made some timely saves in the third. Carl Soderberg’s late power-play goal came after the Canes had gone ahead 5-2.
“We had a great game tonight.” Brind’Amour said. “I thought we could have had 10 goals. We were on it.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 6:41 PM.
