Five things we learned about the Carolina Hurricanes during their five-game road trip
From the time the NHL schedule was first released, Rod Brind’Amour didn’t like the looks of the Carolina Hurricanes’ first road trip.
Five games in 13 days? That would add up to too many practice days or down time, the Canes coach believed, and a long way from home.
But the end result was a 3-1-1 trip after the Canes’ 3-2 win Monday over the Vancouver, Jesper Fast scoring the winning goal against the Canucks. Brind’Amour had no problems with that or the 4-1-1 season start.
“They’ve come to play every game this year,” he said Monday of the Canes, who opened the season at home with a 4-1 win over Columbus. “I know it’s early in the year but we’ve really come out hard in every game. That says a lot to me. They’re all pros and they get it.”
Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau, in his postgame remarks to the media, called the Canes a team that’s “on you all the time and never gives you a second.”
“They’re throwing four lines at you and their defense is as good as you’re going to see in the league,” he said.
But what else was learned from the five road games that took the Canes from San Jose to Seattle to Edmonton and Calgary and finally Vancouver? Here are five things:
Streaking Svech
Andrei Svechnikov said in preseason camp that he wanted to be a star in the NHL and was prepared to do everything needed to be one. No false bravado, either.
Playing with center Jesperi Kotkaniemi and winger Martin Necas, Svechnikov has seven goals, tying the franchise record set by Geoff Sanderson in 1993-94 — then with the Hartford Whalers — for most goals in the first six games of a season.
One caveat: The power forward had seven goals in his first seven games last season and finished with 30. But Svechnikov’s a year older and determined to be more consistent — and not just on the offensive end.
Specialty work to do
Brind’Amour often uses the phrase “work in progress” in talking about the Canes’ power play. That likely will continue.
Against Calgary, with a four-minute power play that began with 6:36 left in regulation in a 2-2 game, the Canes had the Flames’ penalty killers aggressively clear the puck time after time — six times in the first two minutes — and did not score. The result: a 3-2 loss in overtime.
Against the Canucks, the Canes needed just 11 seconds to score on their first power play. Necas’ cross-ice pass set up Svechnikov for a one-timer in the right circle and that was that. Perfect execution, albeit against a team last in the NHL on the P.K.
The Canes have given up power-play goals in their last four games and a shorthanded goal.
The fourth line
Brind’Amour had newcomer Paul Stastny playing left wing — in Nino Niederreiter’s old spot — on a line with Jordan Staal and Fast nearly all of preseason and in the season opener.
Brind’Amour has tweaked it quickly, moving Stastny to center on the fourth line while shifting Jordan Martinook to Staal’s line. The line of Stefan Noesen-Stastny-Derek Stepan has given the Canes physical play and produced scoring chances, although twice having apparent goals disallowed after review.
Brind’Amour likes Martinook’s forechecking and energy on the Staal line. And Fast had the winning goal Monday against the Canucks off the rush — the puck going off his skate.
Don’t overlook 76 and 22
The Canes’ top defensive pairing has Jaccob Slavin playing with Brent Burns. But while those two continue to get their bearings in game action, defensemen Brady Skjei (No. 76) and Brett Pesce (No. 22) continue their consistently solid work.
The two play off each other so well, a product of having been together so long. Slavin has had Dougie Hamilton and then Tony DeAngelo to work with the past two years, now Burns. But the Skjei-Pesce pairing hums along nicely, communicating well and making hard plays look simple.
Earning his spot
There was much discussion during training camp about who would emerge as the third defensive pair. We might have an answer for half of the question: Jalen Chatfield.
Calvin de Haan and Dylan Coghlan have alternated as Chatfield’s partner, trading off games. But Chatfield has stayed in the lineup, giving the Canes some thump on the back end along with his speed and willingness to jump into plays offensively. Chatfield, 26, is listed at 6-1 and 188 pounds but appears bigger on the ice and probably seems bigger when he makes contact.
The Canes signed him to a two-way contract in July 2021 and he played 16 games for Carolina last season while helping the Chicago Wolves win a Calder Cup in the AHL. He was given a two-year extension in January, the second year for a guaranteed $775,000.
This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 6:40 AM.
