Hurricanes fight past Lightning in first of four straight games vs. Tampa
The Carolina Hurricanes were playing their third game in four days and the first of four straight games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2020 Stanley Cup champion.
The Canes were playing Saturday without Teuvo Teravainen, sidelined with an upper-body injury that Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour says could keep the versatile forward out a few more games.
But there was no apparent fatigue for the Canes, no lack of offensive firepower without Teravainen. The Canes fought past the Lightning 4-0 at PNC Arena as goalie Alex Nedeljkovic earned his first NHL shutout with 24 saves, moving into first place in the Central Division with 25 points.
“Every inch was fought for out there,” Brind’Amour said after the game. “Earlier we said we’ve got to play these guys four times in a row, but it’s a great test for us to see how it’s done. We see it. They play it right, and we had to tonight to win.”
The Canes (12-3-1) need Teravainen, who took a big hit Friday in a 5-3 win over Chicago. But Carolina’s Vincent Trocheck continued to score. Sebastian Aho scored, with Andrei Svechnikov taking Teravainen’s spot on the line and setting up his center for a goal with hustle in the offensive zone, a theft of the puck and perfect pass.
Then there was Cedric Paquette. Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2012, the center helped the Lightning win the Cup last year but was traded to Ottawa after the season. That didn’t work out well and the Senators dealt him to the Canes on Feb. 13 in the trade that sent Ryan Dzingel to Ottawa.
Taking a pass from defenseman Jake Bean, who continues to get playing time and impress, Paquette was unchecked and fired a shot from the slot to beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. It was his first goal with the Canes and made it a 3-0 lead.
“You couldn’t write a better script than that,” Paquette said. “Only my fourth game here, against my old teammates.”
Svechnikov scored an empty-netter, his first goal in eight games, for the 4-0 lead — Aho and McGinn with assists — and the focus was all on Nedeljkovic, to see if he could complete the shutout.
The injured Petr Mrazek did it the first time the two teams played this season, winning 1-0 in overtime on a Martin Necas goal. Now it was Nedeljkovic’s turn and he wouldn’t be denied, even as the Lightning (10-4-1) swarmed about the net in the final two minutes of regulation.
“You’ve got to be ready to play every night, be ready to perform,” Nedeljkovic said. “They’re the defending champs, they play hard every night. Every time we can get two points against them it’s huge.”
It was a tight-checking, often physical game and scoreless after the first. The Canes kept their patience and structure, working hard in the defensive zone to keep the Lightning outside, and waiting for their offensive chances.
Trocheck scored his ninth of the year by being in the right place, lurking around the post, and popping in a loose puck. Aho went top-shelf to beat Vasilevskiy for his sixth.
Brind’Amour said he was happy for Nedeljkovic, 25, a former second-round draft pick by Carolina who has starred at the American Hockey League level and played his 10th NHL game Saturday.
“He’s paid his dues,” Brind’Amour said. “He looked good tonight and was ready to go. And the guys played hard in front of him. We’re just happy for the kid.”
The Canes and Tampa Bay go at it again Monday. With the NHL readjusting the schedule Friday, slotting Tampa Bay in Saturday against Carolina instead of Chicago again, it’s four in a row against the Lightning.
Brind’Amour said Saturday morning that this season you have to “expect curveballs.” Four games against the Lightning is a big curve in the schedule, but the Canes had a strong 60-minute effort Saturday and have matched the 2005-06 team for the best start in franchise history with 25 points in the first 16 games.
“We deserved the two points,” Brind’Amour said.
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 6:43 PM.
