The Canes overcame the Lightning after not one, but two OT goals. Here’s what happened
For a long time Tuesday, it all seemed so hauntingly familiar for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy kept making saves, even after briefly losing a skate blade in the second period. The Lightning, the Stanley Cup champion in 2020 and 2021, took the lead. For Tampa Bay, it was a matter of closing out another win against the Canes, just as they did four times in the playoffs last season.
But the Canes found a way to win. They found a way to come back and beat Vasilevskiy, beat the champs and beat them in Amalie Arena, taking a 2-1 victory on Martin Necas’ goal in overtime in a well-played, fast-paced game.
The Canes, in essence, scored twice in overtime. Defenseman Brady Skjei fired a shot from the right circle at 1:39 and the Canes celebrated. But a review of the scoring play showed the Canes’ Vincent Trocheck offside — no goal. They played on. Back to work.
The Canes did it again. Necas got off a shot from the left circle with defenseman Victor Hedman in front of him, and Vasilevskiy couldn’t spot it or stop it at 3:26 of overtime.
“He had a Grade A shot and mine was a little luckier,” Necas said of Skjei’s apparent score. “Hedman gave me a little space and I tried to shoot it through him.”
After a tasteless 5-2 loss Saturday to the Florida Panthers, ending their nine-game winning streak to start the season, the Canes are 10-1 and head back to Raleigh for two home game. As victories go, this was a sweet one.
Teuvo Teravainen, whose second-period shot dislodged Vasilevskiy’s skate blade, scored on a power play at 9:56 of the third period for a 1-1 tie. Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos had scored the game’s first goal midway through the second after the Lightning had killed off the Canes’ 5-on-3 power play — and with Vasilevskiy unable to stand.
Canes goalie Frederik Andersen, in his 10th start of the season, earned his ninth win. He had little work in the first period, when the Canes limited Tampa Bay to three shots, and faced 18 shots in all, but made some quality stops in keeping it a one-goal game deep into the third period.
“We’re playing good, a real good game, but if they get another one who knows what happens there,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He held us in there. for sure.”
Added Skjei: “He’s been so good for us this year, just a rock.”
Teravainen’s power-play goal came after Stamkos was called for goaltender interference, the Tampa Bay captain falling on top of the goalie in the crease. Andersen also was bumped hard during the overtime.
“Our power play kept us in the game with that big goal,” Skjei said. “Then, I got one through in overtime and the play was offside, but the guys all stayed up on the bench and ‘Nechy’ had a great goal to get us two points.
“We knew we needed a bounce-back game and it was just a great time game all-around. I think all the lines and special teams were good. To get the two points against a very good team in Tampa, the reigning Cup champions, is huge.”
Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was serving the second game of a two-game NHL suspension. Defenseman Erik Cernak was injured Tuesday and did not play after the first period, which also hurt the Lightning (6-3-3).
In the second period, Tampa Bay’s Jan Rutta was called for delay of game after lifting a puck over the glass. Then, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare cross-checked Trocheck, giving the Canes their 5-on-3 advantage for 1:35.
Things got crazy. Teravainen got off a shot that knocked off Vasilevskiy’s skate blade, leaving the goalie unable to stand. But the Canes couldn’t score, and a stoppage in play finally allowed Vasilevskiy to get repairs.
“You don’t see that very often,” Teravainen said. “I didn’t know what’s the rule, if they were going to whistle the game down or just keep going. Everybody just tried to create something, do something, and we got a little confused.
“But overall a good battle, a good team win. That’s all we need.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 10:01 PM.
