Vincent Trocheck scores twice and Frederik Andersen wins again as the Canes roll on
Not wanting to tamper with success, the Carolina Hurricanes went with the same lineup for a fourth straight game Saturday.
That meant a fourth start in net for goalie Frederik Andersen.
For the fourth straight time, it clicked. The Canes raced past the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 5-1 road win at Nationwide Arena, scoring three times on the power play and getting another coolly efficient game from Andersen, who had 27 saves.
Vincent Trocheck scored twice, the first on the power play, and Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho also had power-play strikes. Jesper Fast added an even-strength goal for the Canes (4-0-0), who won for the third time on the road.
“I think the guys are playing well and understanding their roles and what’s expected of them,” Staal said to the media after the game. “I think everyone has bought in to how we want to play and the speed we want to play at and the way we’re trying to defend. Obviously we can improve and we can be a lot better.
“Obviously Freddie (Andersen) played great again and really bailed us out early with some big saves when we got a little too cute. Calm, cool, just looks good in the net and has made big saves look easy. It’s nice to see.”
Trocheck added an assist for a three-point night and Andrei Svechnikov had two assists with another active game, setting up Trocheck for his second goal with a well-placed pass.
The Blue Jackets (3-2-0) picked up a 5-on-3 power-play score from Boone Jenner in the second. But Andersen, moving smoothly in the crease, made some sparkling saves later in the period and again when pressured in the third -- Columbus had 24 scoring chances and 10 “high-danger” chances in the game (Naturalstattrick.com).
Staal, who had a powerful game, jammed the puck past goalie Joonas Korpisalo for the Canes’ third goal and his first of the season. Staal also set up Fast for his score in the first with some strong work behind the Columbus net,
The Blue Jackets made a strong push in the third, but Aho’s power-play strike, on a quick release from the slot, made it 4-1.
“Special teams were big obviously,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game. “We killed a lot penalties and got some power-play goals, which were huge. I didn’t love our overall 5-on-5 game. We just had too many turnovers that led some really good chances for them, but Freddie was great.
“It was a good effort. We did some really good things and had some hiccups, but Freddie was great. ... We’re working hard and that’s showing in the victories right now.”
Hurricanes jump on the Jackets
The Canes put the puck in the Columbus net three times in the first period in taking the 2-0 lead.
Svechnikov batted the puck in but had his stick well above the cross-bar -- good try, no goal. He also was initially credited with the Canes’ second goal until a scoring change.
The Canes needed seven seconds on the first power play of the game to take a 1-0 lead. Aho won the faceoff, Svechnikov got off a shot and Trocheck, in front of the crease, had the puck glance off him.
The Staal line clicked for the second goal. First, Nino Niederreiter knocked the puck away from defenseman Jake Bean behind the Columbus net. Staal then found Fast in front for his third goal of the season.
The Canes traveled to Columbus after what proved to be an emotional -- and for forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi relieving -- game against the Montreal Canadiens. Kotkaniemi, returning to the Bell Centre for the first time, heard boos from Habs fans and answered with a goal in a 4-1 win.
Kotkanimei came to the Canes after the Habs failed to match an offer sheet. The Canes wanted badly to get him a victory Thursday, and did.
Blue Jackets a challenge
But Saturday’s game offered a different challenge: the Blue Jackets, who have a different look under first-year coach Brad Larsen and a somewhat different cast. It also was another Metropolitan Division game for the Canes, who beat the New York Islanders in the season opener.
“You always know when you play Columbus what you’re getting into,” Brind’Amour said before the game. “They’re going to bring it.”
The Blue Jackets won just 18 games and finished last in the Central Division in the 56-game 2021 season as the Canes took the division title with twice as many wins. But Columbus had started the 2021-22 season by winning three of the first four, topping the Islanders 3-2 on Thursday.
This story was originally published October 23, 2021 at 9:35 PM.
