Canes win on Whalers Night against the Devils. How Carolina pulled out 2-1 victory
It was Whalers Night again Saturday for the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena — the green Hartford jerseys, iconic logo, Brass Bonanza, Pucky on the warning siren, ‘80s music, all that.
That’s been good for a little extra energy in the building and so it was again. And the Hurricanes needed it.
The Canes, beaten a week ago by the New Jersey Devils, again found themselves being tested by a team that has has been losing but has speed, skill and some youthful spunk in the lineup. The Canes won 2-1, but it was a hard-fought game and well-earned victory against a well-prepared Devils team.
Jordan Martinook, back in the lineup after missing four games, and Andrei Svechnikov had first-period goals for the Canes. Jesper Boqvist scored in the first for the Devils, and it stayed a one-goal game as Canes goalie Antti Raanta and New Jersey’s Jon Gillies each made timely stops.
Raanta, in his first start since Jan. 1, had 24 saves and was named the game’s first star as the Canes (30-9-1) maintained first place in the Metropolitan Division. Carolina, which hosts San Jose on Sunday, has 62 points, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has set a franchise record for points after the first 41 games of a season.
In the game in New Jersey, the Canes gave goalie Jack LaFontaine the chance to make his first NHL start. The Devils won 7-4 against a player fresh out of the lineup at the University of Minnesota, a goalie who looked rushed into action and out of place.
It was Raanta’s net Saturday and an important game for the veteran. In the Jan. 1 road game against Columbus, he allowed three first-period goals — and was lifted after the first — although the Canes surged to a 7-4 win.
Raanta gave up the first-period goal Saturday to Boqvist as New Jersey beat the Canes down the ice in transition. That made it a 2-1 game and Raanta kept it that way in the second period with some terrific saves as the Devils outskated and outplayed the Canes much of the period.
Raanta stopped Boqvist’s bid for a second goal. He denied Jesper Bratt with a pad save at the post. In the final seconds of the period, he coolly stopped a shorthanded breakaway by Nathan Bastian when the Canes misplayed the puck on a power play.
“That was kind of vintage ‘Raants’ right there,” said Martinook, once Raanta’s teammate in Arizona. “That’s the ’Raants’ I saw steal a lot of games when I was with him at Arizona.”
Martinook said Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour gave the team a stern “talking-to” during the second intermission, and Brind’Amour also shuffled the lines. The Canes responded, limiting the Devils to three shots and two scoring chances in the third period in locking down their third close win in a row after an overtime and shootout victory.
“The third was great. That’s how you have to play with the lead,” Brind’Amour said. “It wasn’t a great first couple of periods, but give the guys a lot of credit because when the game was on the line they turned it up.”
Gillies, playing his eighth game for the Devils (15-23-5), made his biggest stops midway through the third to keep it a one-goal game. He barely got his left skate on a shot by Nino Niederreiter, then smothered another Niederreiter attempt.
Gillies soon got a big assist from defenseman P.K. Subban. Canes defenseman Brett Pesce got off a shot that slipped behind Gillies but was swept off the goal line by Subban.
The Canes were without forward Teuvo Teravainen, out with an injury and his status for Sunday’s game not known. But Martinook, who has been hampered by injuries and COVID-19, had plenty of jump and pent-up energy.
“I said to the guys I feel like a race car that can get qualifying in but when the race comes, I blow a tire or something,” Martinook said.
Martinook, playing on a line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, scored in the first after being denied by Gillies on a bang-bang play. Moments later, he took a pass from Jarvis and got off a spinning backhander that beat Gillies for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Svechnikov’s goal came in typical fashion, the power forward bull-rushing the puck to the net. It was the 15th goal of the season and second game-winner for Svechnikov.
Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton, still recovering from a broken jaw, was with the team Saturday and took part in the morning skate but was unable to play against his former team. Hamilton was recognized early in the game and given a nice ovation.
This story was originally published January 29, 2022 at 9:43 PM.
