Back indoors, Hurricanes down Blues as Andrei Svechnikov breaks out of scoring slump
After the immense buildup to the Stadium Series outdoor game, a letdown after it seemed almost inevitable for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Or as Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour put it, “It’s back to reality here.”
For the Canes’ Andrei Svechnikov, it was back to scoring goals again -- finally. After going 19 games without one, the All-Star power forward had two goals and an assist Tuesday in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
“He was on tonight, pretty dynamic pretty much the whole game,” Brind’Amour said.
Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists, Sebastian Aho scored his 25th and goalie Frederik Andersen picked up his 14th win as the Canes (38-10-8) took charge against the Blues (26-28-3), who lost their third in a row.
Svechnikov, in a predatory mode most of the night, came close to scoring a third time, just missing with a lacrosse move in the third period that would have had hats flying.
“I was hoping to score and I thought I had it,” Svechnikov said, smiling.
To which Jarvis replied: “I think I would have thrown my helmet on the ice, too, I would have been so excited.”
Blues defenseman Justin Faulk scored in the second period, his first goal against his former team, but Andersen made some scrambling stops in the second and early in the third, finishing with 35 saves.
Aho punched in a short shot late in the second period and Jarvis made it 4-1 in the third after Aho forced a turnover, Jarvis making a quick move around goalie Jordan Binnington for the score – Aho with the assist.
After the Canes’ emotional 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday before 57,000 fans at Carter-Finley Stadium, it would have been understandable if their effort was lacking a little Tuesday.
“That’s human nature,” Brind’Amour said. “The other night couldn’t have been better and just a great memory and and all that. Then to just turn it off and come back and play ... you’ve got a job to do and I didn’t think they had a huge letdown at all.”
Not Svechnikov. He had Canes fans up and roaring early with his goals, Andersen remained stout in net and Carolina killed off its three penalties in winning a fourth consecutive game.
Svechnikov’s last goal came Dec. 30 against Florida, but he had not not been able to find the net – despite 67 shots – in 2023 before getting his 20th and 21st Tuesday.
“It’s been a while for me,” Svechnikov said. “I wasn’t worried. I know what kind of player I am. I know I can score. It just didn’t come for me, but I was happy it did come for me tonight.
“I had chances every game (but) I just couldn’t score. I tried to stick with that and I was successful tonight.”
Brind’Amour recently moved Svechnikov to Aho’s line opposite Jarvis, saying he was looking to get Svechnikov’s scoring jump-started again. Svechnikov had 14 assists in the 19-game goal drought.
“He has been impactful pretty much every night,” Brind’Amour said Tuesday.
Maybe it was brotherly support that did it. Svechnikov’s older brother, Evgeny, scored goals in his last two games for the San Jose Sharks, the second Monday against Seattle.
Svechnikov said he was watching, jumping up and down.
“Possibly we’ve been talking and he’s been giving me good energy,” Svechnikov said. “I try to give him good energy as well, and it worked out pretty good.”
Talk about a sigh of relief. Svechnikov’s first goal, 1:26 into the game, came when he carried the puck down the right wing and into the circle as the Blues’ Ivan Barbashev was late arriving on the backcheck, and beat Binnington with a forehand.
‘That first goal was a rip,” Jarvis said. “Any time he starts the game off like you know it’s going to be a good night.”
Svechnikov’s second goal was easier. After Aho won a faceoff in the Blues zone, Brent Burns got the puck to Jarvis in front. Binnington stopped Jarvis, but Svechnikov had an open net for a 2-0 lead.
Faulk scored in the second after a Canes turnover in their zone, and Binnington was terrific much of the period in keeping it a 2-1 game. He denied Jesper Fast, Aho and Jordan Staal on good chances, but Aho was open at the post to tap in a loose puck for a 3-1 lead.
When the Blues emptied their net late in regulation, the crowd loudly chanted for Svechnikov to get the hat trick. Brind’Amour sent him back in but there would not be a third goal this night as the Canes came back indoors.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 9:38 PM.
