Canes fight through big hits, tense finish to put a stop to the Predators, halt skid
The Carolina Hurricanes expected physical challenges in their two home games this week, first against Florida and then Friday against Nashville.
The Canes got it. And responded. And toughed it out Friday for a win.
After absorbing an overtime loss Wednesday against the Panthers, the Canes rebounded with a 5-3 victory over the Predators before an overflow crowd of 18,911 at PNC Arena.
Andrei Svechnikov had two power-play goals and an assist while defensemen Brady Skjei and Jaccob Slavin each supplied a goal and assist. Slavin’s goal came with one second left in the second period, not long after the Predators’ had made it a 2-1 game on a shot from the slot from Luke Kunin.
Svechnikov scored his 21st and 22nd, the second an empty-netter with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. Canes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his 10th of the season in the second period for the Canes (33-11-4), who maintained their lead in the Metropolitan Division.
“I think everybody played really hard,” Skjei said. “The energy was definitely there and we brought that emotion.. It got a little sketchy there at the end, but to close it out was really good.”
Goaltender Frederik Andersen picked his 26th win of the season but only after the Predators scored a pair of third-period goals — by Filip Forsberg and Tanner Jeannot — to pull within 4-3 after Preds goalie Juuse Saros was pulled with 5:47 left in regulation for an extra attacker.
The Panthers had tied the score in the final minute with an extra attacker, then won in OT on Wednesday.
But on Friday the Preds’ Roman Josi was called for slashing with 1:15 left in regulation and Svechnikov sealed it for the Canes, who had lost four of five since the NHL All-Star break.
“It was a pretty solid game,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Both teams played hard, especially early. I thought we obviously capitalized on a couple of chances. I know they got a couple there at the end, but overall both teams played hard and Freddie made some big saves in there.”
Much like the Florida game, when there were a lot of punishing hits, it was another bruising battle. The Canes and Preds faced off eight times last season when they were both in the Central Division, then began the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs with a rugged six-game series the Canes won.
They’re now back in different conferences and divisions, but the Canes and Preds went at it again as Carolina won both games this season. Nashville (28-18-4) dropped its fourth straight game.
“It was kind of like a playoff atmosphere a little bit, obviously playing those guys a bunch last year and then in the playoffs, too,” Skjei said.
The Canes lost center Vincent Trocheck to an upper-body injury suffered in the first period, then had winger Martin Necas limp off in the second. Necas, who had assisted on Skjei’s goal in the first, returned and set up Kotkaniemi with a nice pass for a second assist.
Brind’Amour said he was not sure about the extent of Trocheck’s injury.
The Canes’ Sebastian Aho, who also had two assists, was involved in a melee behind the Nashville net in the first period, tangling with Forsberg. Aho wound up at the bottom of the pile but was assessed minors for high-sticking and roughing while Forsberg was penalized for roughing.
Brind’Amour protested those calls but didn’t have any complaints about the way his team played.
“Whatever kind of game it goes, I think we can play it, which is good,” Brind’Amour said after Friday’s morning skate. “We certainly don’t back down from it.”
Skjei’s goal was his seventh of the season and a beauty. He carried the puck into the slot and calmly zipped a backhander past Saros.
Skjei said Slavin’s goal was “enormous.” Svechnikov got the puck to Aho, who found Slavin open to Saros’ right.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 9:49 PM.
